His factory is one of the most mysterious in the world. And his profession, which was not known for a long time, is Xu Liping, a solid rocket engine face shaper in the 7416 factory of the Fourth Research Institute of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group.
What exactly is the "Face Plastic Surgeon" responsible for? What an unusual experience this job and this laborer have, we walked into the depths of the mountains together to see the story of Xu Liping.
Located deep in the mountains, this factory is isolated by one bunker after another, away from the people. Not only because of the mystery of the product, but also because of its danger. Solid-fuel rocket engines made from high-efficiency gunpowder come from here.
The first thing Xu Liping does after going to work every day is to open every door in the work room and hang up every wind hook. For him, every door here is an emergency exit in a dangerous moment.
Xu Liping, a solid rocket engine surface plastic surgeon of the 7416 factory of the Fourth Academy of Aerospace: We are in direct contact with gunpowder for operation, so our work is always in danger.
The solid rocket engine is the heart of the space rocket, and the size and accuracy of the solid fuel of the engine directly determine the flight trajectory of the rocket. The combustion surface of each engine propellant must be precisely trimmed according to the requirements to achieve the flight accuracy of the design. However, this highly sensitive gunpowder is difficult to manufacture with machinery for one-time molding. Gunpowder carver is one of the professions with the highest risk factor.
When carving, each knife must be extremely careful, and the whole process can not produce a trace of static electricity and sparks. Otherwise, it will burn or even explode.
Xu Liping, a solid rocket engine surface plastic surgeon at the 7416 factory of the Fourth Academy of Aerospace: Once the combustion occurs, it will produce a high temperature of several thousand degrees, and the chance of human escape is almost non-existent. If our knife hits the housing and causes a spark, or if we are in the process of operation, the spark generated by the release of static electricity may ignite it. It can be said that our lives are in our hands.
Just a few grams of fuel can burn violently, but Xu Liping is facing a behemoth weighing dozens of tons at close range. Every breath he takes must be highly consistent with the rhythm of his hand and knife.
Xu Liping, a solid rocket engine medicine surface plastic surgeon of the 7416 factory of the Aerospace Fourth Academy: One knife goes down, and the other knife has to connect with it in the past, and there can be no knife marks. Our work is an irreversible process.
Irreversible operation, all by the experience of the technician's hands. 0.5 mm, is the maximum error allowed by the surface accuracy of this solid gunpowder, Xu Liping touched it with his hand once, he can accurately measure the size of the part that needs to be cut, and the accuracy error does not exceed 0.2 mm.
Xu Liping's colleague: When Master Xu (worked), he was flowing with clouds and water, knife by knife, and the medicinal noodles were as thin and uniform as the noodles.
Xu Liping is his most powerful assistant, and in the process of cooperating with Xu Liping's shaping, he must weigh the weight of the residual medicine at all times. Because gunpowder is constantly being cut down, the area in contact with the air is constantly increasing, and once a certain amount is reached, it is very likely that an explosion will occur. Xu Liping demanded that after each removal of 500 grams of gunpowder, it must be packed into a pre-prepared anti-static bag.
Xu Liping's assistant Mi Zhijun: I have always looked at how the teacher fu operates, and this operation looks very simple. Then when I really start to operate, I will think of this danger, and I am really afraid.
For 34 years, Xu Liping has incorporated all his experience into his own operating rules and requires everyone to strictly implement them. Xu Liping's experience not only comes from his 34 years of practical operation, but also from an accident caused by a co-worker who entered the field in the same year.
Xu Liping, a solid rocket engine medicine surface plastic surgeon at the 7416 factory of the Fourth Academy of Aerospace: It touched me very much, because everyone could not imagine how such a small product could cause so much harm to people. So later, after we came out of this matter, our requirements for safety were more stringent, and there must be no negligence.
The sacrifice of his friend made Xu Liping more clearly aware of the need to standardize the operating rules. Since then, Xu Liping has personally tested every product to determine the performance and combustion rate of gunpowder.
Xu Liping, a solid rocket engine medicine surface plastic surgeon of the 7416 factory of the Aerospace Fourth Academy: I will always remind myself that this is a dangerous job, and when dealing with this kind of dangerous work, I will always treat it as the first time to do it, the mentality of the first operation, so that you can ensure that there is no problem.
Looking up at the dream of spaceflight, looking down on the hearts of craftsmen
Since the age of 19, Xu Liping has embarked on a career path like walking on a cliff, and has been accompanied by danger for more than thirty years. Why did he make such a career choice in the first place? What stories did he go through in this position?
Xu Liping's mother was the earliest employee of the plastic surgery workshop of China's aerospace solid rocket engine production base. In the 1960s, in response to the call of the third line of the state, we came to the depths of the mountains here. In 1987, under the influence of his mother, 19-year-old Xu Liping resolutely chose this dangerous position after graduating from technical school.
Xu Liping's mother, Wen Shurong: That engine is indeed very dangerous, and it is too harmful to the body. But there was no way, he did that job, no matter how dangerous it was, he had to do it, and even the most dangerous work had to be done.
Choosing this position means choosing to be in the company of danger. In 1989, a national key model engine that was about to be tested was debonded, and the gunpowder loaded inside had to be manually dug out and then tested and repaired. Xu Liping, who was only 21 years old at the time, took the initiative to ask for help and joined the commando team.
The space is narrow and the smell is pungent, and the tall Xu Liping can only half kneel and half squat, digging up the gunpowder little by little with a wooden and copper shovel.
Xu Liping: It is very, very dangerous, because people have to drill into the interior of the engine that is already full of gunpowder to operate. Once a combustion accident occurs, people cannot escape at all.
In such a huge "barrel of explosives", Xu Liping and his colleagues spent more than two months digging out more than 300 kilograms of gunpowder like ants gnawing on bones. After the mission was completed, his legs could not walk normally for a long time.
Xu Liping's mother, Wen Shurong: After our old couple took him back, I saw that it was still quite heart-wrenching. Because he couldn't stand up to himself. It's hard, he's really tough, he'll hold things up, and when he barely braced himself to go to the toilet, he's holding on to that door frame, door frame by door frame to go to the toilet.
Despite being well aware of the dangers of carving gunpowder, his mother silently supported him in his continued journey. Year after year of leaning over and working, coupled with the irritation of gunpowder, Xu Liping's body tilted to one side, his legs were thick and thin, and his hair became thinner and thinner.
Xu Liping's wife Liang Yuanzhen: Sometimes I can't stop shedding tears when I think about it, and I think about the pain in his life. This pain is always there, which is equivalent to accompanying him for the rest of his life. As soon as the weather changed, his legs hurt, and sometimes his waist couldn't stand up straight.
In the workshop deep in the mountains, Xu Liping worked from his youth to nearly half a hundred years old. Walking on the brink of life and death again and again, casting "arrows" for the country, Xu Liping has been sharpened into a leader in the mainland's solid propellant shaping technology.
Over the past 34 years, Xu Liping has undertaken a variety of strategic and tactical missiles, manned spaceflight, solid carrier and other national and major special solid rocket engine propellants shaping tasks, maintaining a pass rate of 100% and zero safety accidents.
Xu Liping: The work itself is boring, but whenever we see a new type of product, we use various knives we have developed ourselves to carve it out, and a very beautiful shape is displayed, and we still have a sense of pride in our hearts. If we operate each product as an art (product), it will not be boring.
For 34 years, day after day, sharpening knives, shoveling medicines, carvings, and carvings, the dim and dull gunpowder in front of him was gradually given vitality in Xu Liping's hands.
When the launch instructions sounded again and again, one rocket after another flew smoothly into the sky, and all the efforts and hardships turned into brilliant and dazzling tail flames at this moment, lifting up the heavy burden of China's aerospace.
Do earth-shattering things and do anonymity to bury celebrities
In everyone's career, there may be some mistakes, or mistakes. However, for the "gunpowder carver", the risk of even a small mistake is unbearable. Imagine 34 years, zero safety incidents and a 100% pass rate, what kind of achievement is this.
"Do earth-shattering things, do anonymity and bury celebrities" - is the evaluation of astronauts by the outside world. And such an evaluation seems so appropriate to use on Xu Liping. He is an ordinary laborer in the depths of the mountains, and he is a screw in China's aerospace industry. And he relied on his dedication and spirit of excellence, step by step, from a worker to a craftsman; one knife and one knife, portrayed the dazzling flame belonging to the Chinese rocket.
【Source: CCTV News Client】
![Xu Liqing resigned as a general, eating pickles with steamed buns was enough, and his wife was even more admirable[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)