China says farewell to 'father of space technology'
- Source: Global Times
- [10:55 November 06 2009]
- Comments
Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with a relative of Qian Xuesen during the farewell ceremony for Qian in Beijing, China, Nov. 6, 2009. A farewell ceremony for late Chinese space scientist Qian Xuesen was held Friday morning at the Beijing Babaoshan Cemetery. Qian, widely acclaimed as the country's "father of space technology", died of illness on Oct. 31 at the age of 98. (Xinhua photo)
A farewell ceremony for late Chinese space scientist Qian Xuesen was held Friday morning at the Beijing Babaoshan Cemetery.
Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang attended the ceremony.
Qian, also known as Tsien Hsue-shen, led the country's missile and aviation programs and played a significant role in developing China's first man-made satellite.
Qian, widely acclaimed as the country's "father of space technology" , died of illness here on Oct. 31 at the age of 98.
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) engineer Yang Zhiguang told the Global Times that Qian made significant contributions to the control theory of rockets and missiles.
"Qian also laid the foundation of the country's aerodynamic studies," Yang said.
The academy, the nation's largest rocket research base, is considered the birthplace of China's space industry. Qian was the first president after it was founded in 1957.
Qian remained an educator, Yang said, referring to his determination to independently develop the space industry.
"China lost an outstanding scientist. The aerospace industry lost its founder and creator. Engineers lost a guide," said Wei Qiyong, a former student of Qian and a senior engineer at CALT, according to a document obtained from the academy.
Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, said that in addition to his contributions to sciences, Qian should also be remembered as a patriotic son
"Qian embedded the national interests into his fundamental values, placing national achievement ahead of his personal gain," Zhang said, adding that Qian's choice was a true reflection of the spirit of that era.
Qian, a Hangzhou native, left the country in 1935 for studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. He later served as director of the Jet Propulsion laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and was regarded as one of the brightest minds in the new field of aeronautics, the AP reported, before returning to China in 1955.
Qian worked for the defense ministry and helped laid the foundations for a nuclear weapons program that detonated its first device in 1964 and for a space program that achieved China's first manned space flight in 2003.
