Unit 7 Section 1 Reading

Qian Xuesen: the father of China’s aerospace

Qian Xuesen was a pioneer in the development of China’s aerospace science and  technology. In 1999, he received the Two Bombs and One Satellite Merit Award. He is called the “father of China’s aerospace” and “king of rockets”. 

Qian was born in Shanghai in 1911. He studied engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and then went to further his education in the USA. In 1939, he was awarded a doctorate in Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics. After that, he spent many years teaching and doing research at universities in the USA. 

While in the USA, Qian achieved lots of success and he was a well-respected person in his field. However, he decided to return to China when he heard of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. He was eager to bring his knowledge and skills to his homeland and began planning his return.

Qian finally got back to China in 1955. Once home, he worked tirelessly to raise the level of China’s science and technology. One of Qian’s greatest achievements was in the field of aerospace engineering. He played a key role in developing China’s first rocket. Thanks to his groundbreaking research, China became one of the few countries in the world to explore space. His influence is still present today in the Long March rocket programme and other space missions.

Qian devoted himself to his country, and his great work brought honour and success to China. Still, Qian lived a simple life and was not interested in fame or money. He said, “If after I die the public feels I have made some contributions during my life, that approval would be the highest praise of all.”