The first missile, the first artificial satellite, the first unmanned experimental spacecraft...
Behind these "firsts" that can be recorded in the history of China's aerospace development stands one man - Qi Faren, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He was also one of the main technical leaders of the "Dongfanghong-1" satellite and the chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft.
"In my lifetime, I have participated in many aerospace projects, but if we talk about major achievements, I have only accomplished three: launching the 'Dongfanghong-1' and 'Dongfanghong-2' satellites, and sending the 'Shenzhou-5' spacecraft into space." Recently, at the China Academy of Space Technology located at 31 South Street, Zhongguancun, Beijing, a reporter from the "China Science Daily" met this elderly man with silver hair and a sharp mind, listening to him recount his lifelong involvement with aerospace.
Qifaren Qi, Interviewee Provided Photo
"To master the technology, thorough ground tests are essential."
A nation must be strong to avoid being bullied. Qifaren Qi was born in 1933 in Wafangdian City, Liaoning Province. His experience as a student for eight years under the occupation left a deep impression on him.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, while still in high school, Qifaren Qi witnessed the scenes of Chinese volunteer soldiers being strafed and bombed by American planes during the Korean War. It was then that Qifaren Qi made up his mind: "I must study aviation, build airplanes, and defend my country."
In 1957, after graduating from the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics (predecessor of Beihang University) with a degree in aeronautics, Qifaren Qi was assigned to work at the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense (referred to as the Old Fifth Institute).
"At that time, none of us had seen missiles or rockets. But there was one person who not only had seen them but also researched them, and that was the first director of the Old Fifth Institute, Qian Xuesen," Qifaren Qi recalled. "Qian Xuesen was our guide, he taught us using his self-written 'Introduction to Missiles.'"
While Qifaren Qi and other young people were studying theory, they also hoped to go to the Soviet Union to see real missiles. At that time, the Soviet Union allowed young Chinese researchers involved in missile studies to study at the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy in Moscow. However, as relations between the two countries deteriorated in 1958, the Soviet Union claimed they would not accept active Chinese military personnel. Qifaren Qi and others then took off their uniforms, preparing to go to Moscow for studies through the Ministry of Higher Education.
"Everyone else could go, only Qifaren Qi couldn't." Qifaren Qi, upon receiving the notice from the Soviet Union, was deeply disappointed. "They wouldn't let me go in uniform, and they wouldn't let me go without the uniform, just because I was studying systems and they were afraid of me gaining core technology."
Shortly after, all Soviet experts withdrew from China, taking relevant data with them. At that time, China's first missile, "Dongfeng-1," was already in the process of replication.
"Since we couldn't rely on others, we had to rely on ourselves." Qifaren Qi told the China Science Daily, "The spirit of self-reliance in aerospace was born at that time."
Without the help of Soviet experts, the development of "Dongfeng-2" had to rely on Chinese researchers to explore on their own. In 1962, the first independently developed Chinese missile, "Dongfeng-2," crashed one minute after launch, marking a failure.
At that time, Qifaren Qi was a grassroots engineering team leader. Like many young people who experienced the launch failure, he was immersed in endless self-blame. A remark from the on-site leader quickly woke them up: "Failure is the mother of success, summarize the experience and try again."
"The launch failure led us to two key lessons - mastering the technology thoroughly and conducting sufficient ground tests." Qifaren Qi, later serving as the chief designer, always remembered these two lessons.
In 1964, the successful launch of the first independently developed Chinese missile, "Dongfeng-2," was a long-awaited success. In the same year, in October, China successfully detonated its first atomic bomb.
Qifaren Qi then participated in other aerospace missions such as the "Two Bombs, One Satellite," "Dongfeng-4," and "Changzheng-1." He was responsible for the structural and overall design work, ensuring the smooth completion of the launch missions.
Space transmitted the song "The East Is Red"
"We must also develop artificial satellites." This was the call made by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1958. The successful launches of the "Two Bombs" paved the way for satellites to "go into space." In 1965, with all preparations in place, China's first artificial satellite, "Dongfanghong-1," was put on the agenda for development.
"Dongfanghong-1" faced many difficulties during its development, but because of the experience from the launch failure of "Dongfeng-2," Qifaren Qi organized everyone to persist in conducting all possible tests.
In April 1970, the preparations for the launch of "Dongfanghong-1" were ready. Because the satellite was to play the song "The East Is Red" in space, Premier Zhou Enlai was very concerned. Before the launch, Premier Zhou urgently summoned the development team and specifically asked Qifaren Qi, "Can we rely on the satellite? Will 'The East Is Red' change its tune once it's in space?"
Qifaren Qi hesitated a bit in his response, "We have done all the tests that we could think of and conduct on the ground, everything is fine, we just haven't been to space yet."
"Well then, you go back and write a report, submit it to the Central Political Bureau for discussion to decide on the transfer time." Upon hearing the Premier's words, Qifaren Qi nervously spoke the truth, "Premier, that won't work. The satellite and the carrier rocket have already been docked, placed horizontally on the transport vehicle waiting to be transported to the launch site. We only conducted a four-day and four-night horizontal test. If it goes on longer, we can't guarantee that the electrolyte won't leak."
Premier Zhou, with a slight reproach, asked, "Why didn't you conduct more tests?" Qifaren Qi immediately replied, "As the system designer, we didn't make such a request to the battery team."
Then Premier Zhou said something that Qifaren Qi would remember for the rest of his life: "As system designers, you should go out to various research units like peddlers and barefoot doctors, tell them your requirements honestly, and let them know how the work should be done."
"Although I felt wronged at the time, I was very convinced by the Premier's words." Since then, when participating in aerospace projects, Qifaren Qi would go down to the front line, clearly communicate the overall requirements to the other parties.
On April 24, 1970, at 9:35 p.m., the "Changzheng-1" carrier rocket carrying the "Dongfanghong-1" satellite soared into the sky. Cheers erupted continuously, but Qifaren Qi remained seated quietly.
Ninety minutes later, after the satellite orbited the Earth once, the Kashgar Station in Xinjiang reported, "Received the song 'The East Is Red' transmitted from space." It was at this moment that Qifaren Qi stood up and shouted loudly, "We have succeeded!"
Independently developing communication satellites with their own strength
With the launch of "Dongfanghong-1," Qifaren Qi's connection with satellites did not end there.
In 1972, U.S. President Nixon visited China and tightly held the hand of Premier Zhou Enlai at the airport. This handshake was known as the "handshake across the Pacific." The video of this handshake was transmitted to the United States and around the world, thanks to communication satellites. At that time, the development of global communication satellites had only been around for over a decade, with only a few developed countries owning communication satellites. China was a blank slate in the field of communication satellites. The video footage of Nixon's visit to China was transmitted using rented American communication satellite equipment, establishing temporary satellite communication ground stations in Beijing and Shanghai to facilitate news dissemination.
On May 19, 1974, a detailed letter emphasizing the significance of China's development of communication satellites reached Premier Zhou Enlai. He promptly instructed the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Defense Science and Technology Commission to quickly establish manufacturing, collaboration, and usage guidelines for satellite communication, followed by planning according to the designated tasks and ensuring execution. On March 31, 1975, China's communication satellite project finally took off.
Shortly after, the experimental communication satellite "Dongfanghong-2" began development, with Qi Faren serving as both the deputy chief designer and chief designer of the satellite. This time, Qi Faren and his team successfully launched "Dongfanghong-2" into space solely through their own efforts.
On April 8, 1984, the successful launch of "Dongfanghong-2" made China the fifth country globally to independently develop and launch geostationary orbit satellites, significantly increasing the country's television coverage from 30% to 80% at once, resolving communication issues in remote areas.
Qi Faren told the "Chinese Science News," "Back then, we successively developed the experimental communication satellite 'Dongfanghong-2' and the practical communication satellite 'Dongfanghong-2A,' launching a total of 7 satellites. Despite two failed launches, it was still remarkable as all the instruments on the satellites were domestically produced."
Human spaceflight, a matter of life and death
Fast forward to 1992, Qi Faren, aged 59, was on the verge of retirement. On September 21 of that year, China officially approved the implementation of manned spaceflight projects and outlined a "three-step" development strategy.
Qi Faren explained that the first step was the manned spacecraft phase, followed by the space laboratory phase, and finally establishing their own space station. Qi Faren was appointed as the chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft.
"Manned spaceflight, a matter of life and death." Unlike his usual resolute and decisive demeanor, this time Qi Faren hesitated a bit. In his words, "I never expected to become the chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft. I was about to retire, and my children advised me not to continue."
Having visited the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Soviet Union, Qi Faren witnessed firsthand the chief designer reassuring astronauts before launch, saying, "Rest assured, you will definitely return!" and then signing off on the mission.
"Both the United States and the Soviet Union had precedents of astronauts sacrificing their lives. At that time, the central government explicitly allowed for failure but not for loss of life," Qi Faren recalled. "For those of us involved in manned spaceflight, the responsibility was immense, making human life paramount."
"Since the country needed it, I had no reason to leave at that time," Qi Faren decisively took on the task of the Shenzhou spacecraft. However, he had a concern, "Why should I tell the astronauts, 'Go up, you will definitely return'?"
Following the usual protocol, Qi Faren decided to conduct various ground tests to simulate potential scenarios in space.
With time constraints and heavy responsibilities, Qi Faren swiftly organized a strong research team. Simultaneously, starting from the ground test requirements, he began the construction of the Beijing Aerospace City.
Land acquisition, building construction, equipment development, equipment debugging... all these aspects were crucial in Qi Faren's eyes, almost as important as the spacecraft's development. He firmly believed that only with thorough ground tests could a flawless space mission be ensured.
According to China's manned spaceflight plan of "striving for eight and ensuring nine," the "Shenzhou-1" spacecraft aimed for launch in 1998, ensuring entry into space by 1999.
"Achieving this goal was extremely challenging." Qi Faren remembered, "In 1994, the foundation of Beijing Aerospace City was laid, and in November 1998, we were conducting initial ground tests. With less than a year left until the actual launch, it was almost impossible to complete."
"We had already committed to the task, and even if we couldn't finish it, we had to find a way to do so." Qi Faren and his team thought back to China's successful launch of the first recoverable satellite in 1975, followed by over 20 successful launches of recoverable satellites. Despite the external damage upon reentry, the instruments inside remained functional.
"We wondered if we could modify the initial ground test products into the experimental spacecraft to be launched - 'Shenzhou-1,' to ensure the mission's completion." He explained to the reporter with a smile, "This method is somewhat similar to Musk's current rocket reusability."
Although Qi Faren's plan had practical basis, it also carried significant risks. After submission, the plan received leadership approval.
On November 20, 1999, the "Shenzhou-1" spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. A day later, the return capsule of the "Shenzhou-1" spacecraft successfully landed in the designated area of Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, just 10 kilometers away from the planned landing site.
This marked a successful start for China's manned spaceflight program under Qi Faren's leadership.
After four successful launches of unmanned spacecraft, on the eve of the launch of the manned spacecraft "Shenzhou-5" on October 15, 2003, Qi Faren and his team signed the launch mission document, successfully sending China's first astronaut Yang Liwei into space. Subsequently, Qi Faren embarked on a new chapter in his work and life.
Returning to his alma mater, Beihang University, Qi Faren taught and mentored over 20 doctoral students, establishing China's first Space Debris Laboratory. Today, at over 90 years old, Qi Faren continues to travel across the country, spreading the spirit of space exploration and scientific knowledge to the public. "Great endeavors nurture great spirits, and great spirits drive the advancement of great undertakings," said Qi Faren passionately at the end of the interview with reporters. "I hope the spirit of space exploration will continue to guide and inspire more young people to explore the vast unknown of outer space."
