On the occasion of the twelfth anniversary of Qian Xuesen's death, Yuncheng Middle School set up as the "Qian Xuesen Experimental Class", focusing on cultivating the feelings and qualities of our students who love the motherland, love art, advocate science, pay attention to innovation, have the courage to practice, and pursue truth, goodness and beauty. Strive to make the "Qian Xuesen Experimental Class" a class with innovative characteristics, let the educational resources in Yunzhong continue to enlarge, so that the experimental class can create more brilliant achievements, and the spirit of Qian Xuesen will be passed on and endlessly in Hedong!
12 years ago, on October 31, 2009, Comrade Qian Xuesen left us, but his great deeds and lofty demeanor are like the asteroid in space named Qian Xuesen with the international number 3763, which will always be remembered by the world.
On October 8, 1956, the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, the earliest missile and rocket development institution in New China, was established, marking the official establishment of China's aerospace industry, and Qian Xuesen was appointed as the first president. It happened that on October 8, a year ago, Qian Xuesen and his wife and a pair of children crossed the Luohu Port connecting Hong Kong and the mainland, returned to the embrace of the motherland, and began a new journey of life to serve the motherland.
Almost at the same moment when Qian Xuesen stepped on mainland land, Premier Zhou Enlai and Marshal Nie Rongzhen had a telephone conversation and excitedly told him the news of Qian Xuesen's return to China. Zhou Enlai instructed Nie Shuai: "Comrade Xuesen is patriotic, we must treat him well, we must care for him politically, take care of him in life, and protect him in safety!" ”
Later, Qian Xuesen really lived up to the expectations of the public, led China's aerospace industry to start from scratch, develop and grow, achieved many firsts in China's aerospace history, and became an outstanding scientist at home and abroad and the founder of China's aerospace industry.
Study Abroad With a heart to the motherland
In 1934, Qian Xuesen graduated from the National Transportation University, successfully admitted to Tsinghua University Gengzi indemnity to stay in the United States, and then entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study, only one year to obtain a master's degree; later, Qian Xuesen transferred to the California Institute of Technology in the United States, under the tutelage of the world-famous aerodynamics professor von Carmen, in 1939 received a doctorate in aviation and mathematics.
In the later stages of working in the United States, Qian Xuesen's research focus shifted from aviation to rockets, and since then he has embarked on the road of rocket experts.
▲ From left: Plante, Qian Xuesen, von Carmen
After World War II, McCarthyism prevailed in the United States. In the ensuing "great inventory," Qian Xuesen was unfortunately implicated. The FBI began investigating Qian Xuesen. The investigators asked Qian Xuesen if he was a member of the Communist Party, and Qian Xuesen said, "No." They did not believe Qian Xuesen's words, and forcibly revoked Qian Xuesen's "security permit" to participate in a confidential scientific research project involving the US military when the results did not come out. Therefore, Qian Xuesen submitted his resignation to the California Institute of Technology and decided to return to China.
At that time, Qian Xuesen was at the peak of his academic career in the United States.
In October 1949, Qian Xuesen saw the news of the founding of the People's Republic of China in the newspaper and told his wife Jiang Ying: "Now is the time to return to China." ”
Knowing that Qian Xuesen was going to return to China, the US military resolutely obstructed it.
Later, the FBI produced so-called evidence: Qian Xuesen's return luggage contained a U.S. "codebook," which was actually a logarithmic copy. Qian Xuesen was very angry about this, returned home, and did not leave the house for a week.
The U.S. Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service monitored Qian Xuesen and detained him in a detention center on The Mino Island, south of Los Angeles, in September 1950.
Qian Xuesen's detention became news and caused a sensation in all walks of life in the United States. Under the pressure of public opinion, after receiving a bail of $15,000, the US authorities released Qian Xuesen, who had been detained for about half a month, but asked him to promise that he would not leave the United States without permission.
The FBI's investigation into whether Qian Xuesen was a Communist Party of the United States continues. Later, the military negotiated with the FBI that if Qian Xuesen was a Communist Party, he would have to be deported, which was stipulated in the Constitution. But proceeding from the interests of the United States, the military does not want Qian Xuesen to leave the United States. They finally came to the conclusion that Qian Xuesen was once a Communist Party, implying that he was no longer a Communist Party, and defended himself with such a strange statement.
The United States has demarcated an area of free action for Qian Xuesen, that is, a radius of about 15 miles centered on the home. Since caltech is within this range, Qian Xuesen is allowed to teach in schools, and children can also attend schools within this range.
▲ In October 1955, Qian Xuesen returned to his motherland
Five years later, in October 1955, after the efforts of the party and the government, Qian Xuesen's family finally broke through many obstacles and returned to the motherland.
Chinese shorter than a foreigner?
Soon after Qian Xuesen returned to China, the organization arranged for him to visit the northeast. General Chen Geng deliberately rushed from Beijing to the Harbin Military Engineering College to receive him. During the visit, Chen Geng asked Qian Xuesen: "Can Chinese engage in missiles?" ”
Qian Xuesen recalled afterwards: "I was holding my stomach at that time, why can't I Chinese?" So the answer is very crisp. I said that foreigners can do it, can't Chinese do it? Chinese shorter than them? ”
After returning to Beijing, Qian Xuesen made a proposal to the Chinese Academy of Sciences to establish a mechanical research institute after careful consideration. A month later, the Institute of Mechanics was established, with Qian Xuesen as its director. With the encouragement of Premier Zhou Enlai, he drafted the "Opinion on Establishing China's National Defense Aviation Industry" and put forward the organizational plan, development plan, and specific measures for China's rocket and missile undertakings. Qian Xuesen's opinion has been highly valued by the Party Central Committee. Premier Zhou personally presided over the meeting of the Central Military Commission, studied and decided on the establishment of the State Aviation Industry Commission, and at the same time ordered Qian Xuesen to establish the Fifth Academy of the Ministry of National Defense.
▲ "Opinion on the Establishment of China's National Defense Aviation Industry"
At the beginning of the aerospace industry, in the absence of any foreign materials to refer to, Qian Lao compiled his own textbooks and taught "Introduction to Rocket Technology" to young researchers. He insisted on taking time out of his week to discuss technology with young people.
Academician Sun Jiadong, the recipient of the "Order of the Republic", was still a young man at that time. He clearly remembers the state of Qian Lao when he was teaching, "Qian Lao was very kind, always smiling. "Elder Qian selflessly cultivates young people like Sun Jiadong, and at the same time influences these young people with a strict spirit of self-discipline."
Through the unremitting efforts of Qian Xuesen and others, in November 1960, China's first imitation missile "1059" was successfully launched; in October 1964, China's first atomic bomb was successfully detonated; in June 1967, China's first hydrogen bomb was successfully tested; in April 1970, China's first artificial satellite was successfully launched...
▲ The Long March 1 carrier rocket launches the Dongfanghong-1 satellite
Once, a newly developed missile model failed during a launch test. Elder Qian is responsible for investigating and analyzing the causes of failures and summarizing lessons. After finding out the cause of the failure, Qian Lao called a meeting of the young researchers of the General Department. These young people realized that it was because they did not think well enough that the missile launch failed. When facing Qian Xuesen, they buried their heads deeply. Elder Qian smiled and let everyone raise their heads and said, "If you don't think it through, first of all, I don't think it through, and the responsibility lies with me, not you." ”
"After decades of doing aerospace, whenever I encounter major problems and make up my mind, I will think of Qian Lao's responsibility." After I became a leader, I saw that young people made any mistakes in their work, and they would also dare to take responsibility for them like Qian Lao, dare to be strict with themselves, and encourage them to put down their burdens and do things well. Sun Jiadong said.
Qian Xuesen's three excitements
On October 16, 1991, a very high-profile award ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, attended by almost all the party and state leaders in Beijing, but there was only one winner - he was Qian Xuesen. He was jointly awarded the honorary title of "National Outstanding Contribution Scientist" and the "First Class Heroic Model Medal" jointly awarded by the State Council and the Central Military Commission.
▲ Qian Xuesen at the award ceremony
As of now, there is only one winner of the "National Outstanding Contribution Scientist". In the face of such a huge honor, the first sentence of Qian Xuesen's acceptance speech surprised everyone. He said: "I'm not very excited today. The venue was suddenly silent.
He continues: "The first excitement I was when I resigned to my mentor von Carmen in 1955, and he said to me with great emotion: 'You have now surpassed me academically. I was thrilled to hear him say this. Being able to surpass such a world-famous 'great authority' academically proves that we are no Chinese any more stupid than foreigners. It was the first excitement in my life. ”
"On November 12, 1959, I was admitted as a full member of the Communist Party of China. I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night. This is the second excitement! ”
Qian Xuesen went on to say, "Just this year, I read the preface to the "Biography of Shi Laihe" written by Comrade Wang Renzhong. In this preface, he said that the Central Organization Department regarded Lei Feng, Jiao Yulu, Wang Jinxi, Shi Laihe, and Qian Xuesen as excellent representatives of the Communist Party members who had enjoyed high prestige among the masses in the 40 years since liberation. ”