A brief introduction to the father of Chinese missiles, Qian Xuesen

Mondo Military Updated on 2024-02-04

Qian Xuesen (December 11, 1911 - October 31, 2009), born in Shanghai, ancestral home in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, is an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, a loyal communist fighter, an outstanding scientist at home and abroad, the founder of China's aerospace industry, and is known as the "father of Chinese missiles".

He has made pioneering contributions in the fields of aerodynamics, aeronautical engineering, jet propulsion, engineering cybernetics, physical mechanics, etc., and is the founder and advocate of the theory and application of modern mechanics and systems engineering in China.

Curriculum vitae:

In September 1923, he entered the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University.

In September 1929, he was admitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

After graduating from university in June 1934, he was admitted to Tsinghua University as a government-funded international student.

In September 1935, he entered the Department of Aeronautics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In September 1936, he transferred to the Department of Aeronautics of the California Institute of Technology in the United States under the supervision of Professor von Kármen.

In 1939, he received a double doctorate in aeronautics and mathematics.

In 1947, he became a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In October 1955, he returned to his motherland China.

Work Experience:

In 1956, he submitted the "Opinion on the Establishment of China's National Defense Aviation Industry" to the Communist Party of China.

In 1956, he was appointed to establish China's first rocket and missile research institute, the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, and served as its first president.

In 1957, he was co-opted as a member (academician) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In 1965, he was appointed Vice Minister of the Seventh Ministry of Machinery Industry.

In 1970, he took the lead in organizing the launch of China's first artificial earth satellite.

From 1980 to 1991, he served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology.

From 1986 to 1998, he served as Vice Chairman of the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth National Committee of the Chinese National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Major Achievements:

He has made remarkable achievements in the fields of aerodynamics, aeronautical engineering, and jet propulsion.

A rocket booster take-off device was proposed and implemented to shorten the runway distance.

The concept of a rocket passenger plane and the idea of a nuclear rocket were proposed.

Published the academic work "Engineering Cybernetics", which caused a sensation in the field of control.

He presided over the completion of the "Establishment of Jet and Rocket Technology" program.

Participated in the development of short-range missiles, medium- and short-range missiles, and China's first artificial earth satellite.

Directly led the test of the "combination of two bombs" to deliver atomic bombs with medium- and short-range missiles.

Awards:

In 1956, he won the first prize of the Natural Science Award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

1985 National Science and Technology Progress Award Special Prize.

In 1989, he was awarded the "Rockwell Medal Jr." and the title of "World Class Science and Engineering Celebrity".

In October 1991, he was awarded the honorary title of "National Scientist with Outstanding Contributions" by the Military Commission.

In September 1999, he was awarded the "Two Bombs and One Star Meritorious Service Medal" by the Military Commission.

Social Appointments:

Chairman of the first council of the Chinese Society of Mechanics and the Chinese Society of Automation.

Executive Director of the First Council of the International Federation of Automatic Control.

Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Society of Astronautics, the Chinese Society of Mechanics, and the Chinese Society of Systems Engineering.

Vice Chairman of the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth National Committee of the Chinese National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Character Influence:

Qian Xuesen's life is a model of persistent pursuit of science and loyalty and dedication to the country. His scientific achievements and noble moral character have inspired generation after generation of scientific and technological workers, laid a solid foundation for the development of China's aerospace industry, and exerted a far-reaching impact on the country's scientific and technological progress and national defense modernization. His patriotic, innovative, and scientific spirit has become a valuable asset in China's scientific and technological circles, and has been widely praised and studied by future generations.

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