Qian Xuesen, who is known as the "father of China's missiles," once experienced an unforgettable period in the United States. In 1955, a seemingly ordinary letter became a key turning point for Qian Xuesen and many other Chinese scholars stranded in the United States to return to China.
One summer day in 1955, the East and West of the world were experiencing the tensions of the Cold War, but in this year, there was a rare opportunity for communication between China and the United States. In Geneva, Switzerland, the two countries held talks on easing tensions in the Far East, especially over Taiwan.
This meeting is not just about politics, it is also about the fate of many Chinese civilians and scholars, who are in the United States and have difficulty returning home. Among them, including the later science superstar Qian Xuesen. He originally had a bright future at the California Institute of Technology in the United States, but for various reasons, he could not return to his homeland.
The turn of events happened in a seemingly inconspicuous everyday moment. In order to be able to send a vital letter back to China safely, Qian Xuesen and his wife, Jiang Ying, struggled to find it. Jiang Ying skillfully imitated the handwriting of children, wrote down the words, and then filled the envelope with Qian Xuesen's letter to an old friend in China, and on the envelope was her sister's address in Belgium.
They chose an ordinary shopping day to carry out the operation, and in the name of shopping, they cleverly shook off the FBI agents who had been following them closely. In a casual moment, Jiang Ying put the letter carrying hope into the mailbox. The letter was finally forwarded through Belgium and successfully reached China, becoming a trump card in the talks and clearing the way for Qian Xuesen and other students to return to China.
After returning to China, Qian Xuesen did not directly devote himself to the research of missiles or rockets. He was first assigned to the Chinese Academy of Sciences to participate in the preparation for the establishment of the Institute of Mechanics. Here, he chaired a number of conferences to discuss the direction of mechanics research, including elastic mechanics, plastic mechanics and other fields.
But Qian Xuesen's influence goes far beyond that. In the late autumn of 1955, he set foot on the land of the Northeast, which was his first stop after returning to China. At that time, Northeast China was an important town in the industrial layout of New China and had the most solid industrial foundation. Qian Xuesen's trip is not only an investigation of the industrial base, but also a preliminary survey for the possible future development of science and technology.
During the trip to the Northeast, Qian Xuesen also specially offered to meet his two old students, Zhuang Fenggan and Luo Shijun. Both men work at a major local engineering college, where they worked with Qian Xuesen in the United States and have deep research in the aerospace field. This reunion is not only a reflection of the deep affection between teachers and students, but also Qian Xuesen's cherishing of talents and deep thinking about the future direction of scientific research.
In a detailed discussion with the two old students, Qian Xuesen emphasized the importance of self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, and he put forward the idea of independently developing rocket technology in China. This idea seemed almost fanciful at the time, but Qian Xuesen firmly believed that only by mastering the core technology could China become independent on the world stage of science and technology.
Subsequently, Qian Xuesen returned to Beijing and had in-depth exchanges and discussions with leaders of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other scientific and technological departments. His views and proposals have been widely valued and supported. Soon, he was appointed director of the Institute of Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, opening a new chapter in China's rocket technology and space exploration.
During his several years at the Institute of Mechanics, Qian Xuesen led the team to successfully develop China's first sonic aircraft and multi-type rocket. His team also successfully test-fired China's first liquid-fueled rocket, marking a solid step forward in China's international rocket research.
Qian Xuesen's work is not limited to scientific research, he also strongly promotes the combination of technology and education. He believes that without a high level of science and technology education, there can be no sustainable development of science and technology. Under his initiative, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has jointly established a number of postgraduate training bases with a number of universities, cultivating a large number of scientific and technological talents for China's aerospace and aviation industry.
Qian Xuesen is not only a legend of scientific exploration, it is also a poem about perseverance and dreams. Since the day he returned to the United States, he has never stopped pursuing the dream of becoming a powerful country in science and technology. Even in the face of all kinds of questions and difficulties from the outside world, he always adhered to his beliefs and answered those voices who questioned him with practical actions.
Looking back at Qian Xuesen's life, he not only saw the outstanding talent of a scientist, but also felt the firmness and responsibility of a wise man. He told us that no matter how difficult the environment is, as long as we stick to our beliefs and work hard, we will be able to break new ground.