The story of Qian Xuesen’s two bombs and one satellite
Qian Xuesen, the “Father of Heaven” and the “King of Rockets”, is a familiar and great name that is familiar and admired by the Chinese people. He is also China's top scientist, admired by people all over the world, is the lofty image and symbol of China's aerospace industry. His great achievements and patriotism during his lifetime, his indifference to fame and fortune, his rigorous scholarship, and his immortal spirit of honor and disgrace of the country have made the world more admired and respected.
Qian Xuesen once said a humorous and meaningful saying, "My surname is Qian, but I don't love money." It can explain his high integrity and indifference to fame and fortune.
In 1958, he wrote " The book "Engineering Cybernetics" was translated into Chinese and published, and won the first prize of the National Natural Science Award. The royalties and bonuses were more than 10,000 yuan, all of which were donated to buy learning supplies for students.
In 2001, Qian Xuesen He won the second "Fok Ying-tung Outstanding Award" with a bonus of one million Hong Kong dollars. As early as 1994, he won the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Science and Technology Achievement Award with a bonus of one million Hong Kong dollars. Before receiving the checks for the two bonuses, Qian Xuesen He asked people to donate money on his behalf to the Desert Grass Industry Foundation of the China Association for Science and Technology and the desert management in the west. Qian Xuesen, who could enjoy benefits, lived in an old building for fifty years and lived a life of poverty. . He has worn a Chinese tunic suit all his life and used a broken handbag for more than fifty years. He usually publishes articles jointly with others and always gives all the royalties to his collaborators.
Qian Xuesen once won the "Two Bombs and One Star" Medal of Merit", the honorary title of "National Outstanding Contribution Scientist" and the First-Class Hero Model Medal awarded by the Central Military Commission; in 2007, he was awarded the "Moving Chinese Person of the Year". In 2009, he was named one of the 100 people who touched China since the founding of New China. 1. Having won so many and important honors, who would have thought that the house where he has devoted his whole life to the aerospace industry of the motherland is less than 100 square meters. And Qian Xuesen has lived here for more than 50 years. Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics Hu Shixiang said in an interview with reporters that Qian Xuesen lived like many ordinary people in this old house of less than 100 square meters during his lifetime. He had always been hardworking and simple, and devoted himself to the study of science. He also told everyone with practical actions , don’t forget hardship and simplicity.
According to many media reports, Qian Lao has long since set the "four principles" for his life: "No inscriptions, no prefaces for others, no attendance at special events, no Accept media interviews." Later, these "four principles" were "upgraded" to seven no's, adding "not to serve as any consultant or honorary consultant, not to attend meetings in other places, not to go abroad." The unit wanted to build a house for him. He disagreed, and the articles praising him in newspapers and periodicals were dismissed as "that's all." He added: "I don't have time to think about the past, only the future."
Qian Xuesen's story before returning to China
When the first five-star red flag slowly rose in Tiananmen Square in 1949, Qian Xuesen, then director of the Supersonics Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and head of the "Guggenheim Jet Propulsion Research Center", felt deeply for the rebirth of his motherland. He plans to return to China and use his expertise to serve New China. But it was not easy for Chinese scientists in the United States to return home at that time, and Qian Xuesen's expertise was directly related to national defense, so he finally returned to the embrace of his motherland after going through many hardships. His tortuous struggle process showed Qian Xuesen's deep love for the motherland at that time, which was very touching.
In mid-September 1950, Qian Xuesen resigned from his position as director of the California Institute of Technology's Supersonic Laboratory and head of the "Guggenheim Jet Propulsion Research Center" and went through the procedures to return to China. He bought a plane ticket from Canada to Hong Kong and handed over his luggage to be handled and shipped.
However, just two days before he planned to leave for Los Angeles, he suddenly received a notice from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service - he was not allowed to return to the country! The Immigration Bureau threatened that if you leave the country without permission, you will be fined or even jailed if you are caught!
A few days later, Qian Xuesen was arrested and taken to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service detention center on the charge of "participating in a political party that advocates the use of force to overthrow the U.S. government."
The luggage Qian Xuesen handed over to the moving company was inspected by U.S. Customs and the FBI, and it was said that telegram codes, weapons blueprints, etc. were "discovered" from it. The Immigration and Naturalization Service wanted to "interrogate" Qian Xuesen, saying that Qian Xuesen was a "member of the American Communist Party." Later, it said that among the Americans Qian Xuesen knew when he was studying in the United States, several were members of the American Communist Party. The Immigration and Naturalization Service threatened that Qian Xuesen had "violated U.S. immigration laws" and would "deport" Qian Xuesen. Not long after he said this, he quickly changed his words. Because Qian Xuesen was to be "deported", which was exactly what Qian Xuesen wanted! In the detention center, Qian Xuesen was imprisoned like a criminal. Qian Xuesen once recalled: "In the 15 days I was detained, I lost 30 pounds. In the detention center, every night, the secret agents would come in and wake you up every hour, so that you could not get any rest, and mentally Trapped in a state of extreme tension.”
The Immigration and Naturalization Service’s persecution of Qian Xuesen has aroused public outrage in the American scientific community. Many friendly people in the United States came forward to rescue Qian Xuesen and find him a defense lawyer. They raised 15,000 US dollars as a deposit to release Qian Xuesen from the detention center.
In June 1955, Qian Xuesen wrote to Comrade Chen Shutong, then vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, requesting the party and government that he return to the embrace of the motherland as soon as possible.
Premier Zhou took the matter very seriously after learning about it and instructed relevant personnel to handle the matter at the appropriate time. After that, on October 18, 1955, Qian Xuesen and his family finally returned to their motherland after 20 years of absence. Soon, he was appointed director of the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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