at 21: 35 on April 24th, 197, the Long March 1 carrier rocket carrying the satellite Dongfanghong-1 was ignited and lifted off. With the majestic music of "Dongfanghong" resounding through the land of China through radio waves, China's first self-developed satellite, "Dongfanghong-1", successfully entered orbit and roamed the sky, marking the beginning of the space age in China.
China will usher in the third "China Aerospace Day" tomorrow. As we move into a new era of aerospace, we should also remember the outstanding contributions made by the older generation of scientists to the development of China's aerospace industry. Today, please follow the reminiscence article written by Zhang Jinfu, former Party Secretary and Vice President of China Academy of Sciences, and review this exciting history together to explore the deep origin of "Dongfanghong No.1" and Chinese Academy of Sciences!
China's first satellite model was born in China Academy of Sciences
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union sent the first man-made earth satellite to the sky, and our Party Central Committee attached great importance to it. Vice Premier Nie Rongzhen (hereinafter referred to as Nie Zong), who was in charge of science and technology, told me to pay close attention to the situation. Zhu Kezhen, vice president of China Academy of Sciences, Qian Xuesen, director of Institute of Mechanics, and Zhao Jiuzhang, director of Institute of Geophysics, etc. suggested developing satellite research in China. According to the research of the party group of the Academy, this is a top priority related to national defense and people's peace and tranquility. To this end, two tasks have been done.
first, the first satellite plan in China was put forward. At the request of the former Soviet Academy of Sciences, since October 1957, the Geophysical State Committee of the Institute of Geophysics of China Academy of Sciences has organized the observation of Soviet satellites nationwide, and established the optical observation of satellite Group and the Radio Observation Group. Observatories have been set up in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Kunming and other places, and in 1958 it grew to 12. According to the request of Vice President Wu Youxun, several scientific and technical personnel, such as Chen Fangyun, who is preparing for the Institute of Electronics, chose their own topics and made a radio signal receiving device, which can not only receive the radio signals and frequency changes emitted by satellites to the ground, but also calculate its orbit, thus inferring what might be in it. I have called the relevant scientists for discussion many times. Scientists believe that building satellites is a highly comprehensive job, which can promote the development of many emerging technologies from the perspective of "mission with discipline". Satellites can be used for both civilian and military purposes. Using the existing foundation of the Academy of Sciences to accelerate research, coupled with the strength of the Fifth Academy of National Defense and other brother departments, in a few years, China will also be able to satellite into the sky. They also suggested that the Academy of Sciences should make satellites a key task. Therefore, the party group of the Academy of Sciences listed satellite development as the first major task of the China Academy of Sciences in 1958, which was code-named 581 task for the sake of confidentiality.
On May 17th, 1958, President Mao Zedong put forward at the second meeting of the Eighth National Congress: "We also want to build artificial satellites." General Nie instructed me, Wang Chen of the Fifth Academy of National Defense (hereinafter referred to as the Fifth Academy) and other relevant experts to draw up satellite plans. In June, the Academy of Sciences held a mobilization meeting for the Great Leap Forward, and scientists actively advocated the development of artificial satellites. In July, China Academy of Sciences reported to President Nie that China's satellite planning is divided into three steps: the first step is to launch sounding rockets, the second step is to launch small satellites, and the third step is to launch large satellites. The division of tasks is as follows: rockets are mainly from the Fifth Academy, and short-term sounding and satellite and observation work are mainly from the Academy of Sciences, which cooperate with each other. It is required to fight hard for three years to realize China's first satellite.
the second is to make China's first satellite model. In order to realize the planning task, China Academy of Sciences has set up 581 groups to study satellite issues. The leader of Group 581 is Qian Xuesen, the deputy heads are Zhao Jiuzhang and Wei Yiqing, and the members are Yang Gangyi, Wu Ruyang, Gu Dehuan and Hua Shoujun. Another technical team is set up, chaired by Qian Xuesen and Zhao Jiuzhang. People who often attend the 581st group meeting are Lu Yuanjiu, Yang Jiachi, Chen Fangyun, Lv Baowei, Ma Dayou, Sun Xiang, Sun Jian politician, Wang Zheng, Wu Jikang and Shi Lvji. At that time, the work was very tight. In July, August and September, 581 groups met two or three times a week. Pei Lisheng, Du Runsheng, Wang Qian, Wang Shiguang, Luo Peilin, Qian Wen Ji and Cai Qiao and I attended their meetings many times.
At the same time, China Academy of Sciences has established three design institutes: the first design institute is responsible for the overall design of satellites and the development of rockets. In order to facilitate cooperation with Shanghai, it moved to Shanghai in November and was renamed Shanghai Electromechanical Design Institute; The second design institute is responsible for developing the control system, which is divided into three research rooms, and its business directions are attitude control system simulation, remote control and telemetry and moving object control. The Third Design Institute is responsible for the development of radiosonde and the research of space environment, with Zhao Jiuzhang and Qian Ji as the scientific and technological leaders.
The p>581 group worked hard day and night for more than two months. Through full cooperation with 31 units inside and outside the hospital, it completed the preliminary design of the launch vehicle structure and worked out two kinds of sounding rocket head models with various high-altitude environmental detection instruments and animal cabins, which took a gratifying first step for the self-reliance development of China's space industry. In October, 1958, in the Secret Hall of the China Academy of Sciences Leap Forward Achievement Exhibition, designs and models of satellites and rockets were exhibited, including two models of sounding rocket heads with scientific detection instruments and dogs. President Mao Zedong, the leader of the Party and state, came to visit, which had a great influence.
satellite technology is one of the cutting-edge technologies. If we master it, we can make a new leap in science and technology in our country. However, it is not easy to make satellites. I think the leading group of the Academy should do: first, gather and train talents vigorously; second, actively strive for foreign aid. The party group agreed to this opinion and formed a * * * knowledge.
On the one hand, the problem of talents is to increase scientific and technological personnel, and on the other hand, to equip laboratories and factories with skilled workers. As for the source of skilled workers, we asked the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army to help the Academy of Sciences deploy 8, young demobilized technical soldiers. Lv Zhengcao, Minister of the Ministry of Railways, was asked to support a group of our old workers, who were assigned to relevant institutes and factories in 1959. Later, during the period of economic difficulties, according to the central policy, most of the demobilized soldiers were streamlined and returned to their hometowns. Because of undertaking the production task of national defense, a group of demobilized technical soldiers who have been trained and mastered the trial production and production technology have been retained by special approval. The instruments and equipment designed by scientific and technical personnel need to be made by master workers. They work day and night, regardless of remuneration, overcome difficulties and complete tasks on time. I praised them for their gold craftsmanship, and they were very happy.
at that time, it was far from enough for scientific and technological personnel to rely solely on the state to allocate college students. At the beginning of 1958, the party group of the Academy studied and adopted the policy of "running a school in the whole hospital and combining departments" to establish a university with a new discipline as the main one-China University of Science and Technology. Reported in May, approved in June, and enrolled in August. The school building has not yet landed and the fire is imminent. I asked Comrade Gu Yu to ask Yang Shangkun, then director of the General Office of the Central Committee, for support. Comrade Yang Shangkun awarded a military property in Yuquan Road, Beijing, which is under the jurisdiction of the central government, to the University of Science and Technology as the site. Dean Guo Moruo and I went to see the place, and a major general was already waiting at the gate. Without waiting for us to speak, he said, "I have understood what I came for. We will act immediately and fly quickly." There were not enough dormitories for students. Vice Premier Li Fuchun granted tens of thousands of square meters of teaching buildings and dormitories, which enabled China University of Science and Technology to start school on time. I was very happy to see young faces, carrying bedding or carrying burdens, walking from Beijing Railway Station to Yuquan Road to report for duty. The University of Science and Technology of China Academy of Sciences offered a series of courses on space technology, including Introduction to Interstellar Navigation by Qian Xuesen, Upper Atmosphere Physics by Zhao Jiuzhang, Gyroscope and Inertial Navigation Principles by Lu Yuanjiu, etc. Later, these students became the backbone of China's space science and technology.
actively strive for foreign aid, mainly from the former Soviet Union. In mid-October, 1958, China Academy of Sciences organized a delegation of atmospheric physics to visit the Soviet Union, headed by Zhao Jiuzhang, with members including Wei Yiqing, Qian Ji and Pan Houren. I remember that I went to the Institute of Geophysics on a Sunday. In order to seize time, I said to Director Zhao, "Let's go. Today is Sunday and the day after tomorrow." During their stay in the Soviet Union, they visited some scientific research units, saw some high-altitude detection instruments and satellite models exhibited in the Science and Technology Exhibition Hall, and inspected some astronomical, ionospheric and ground observation stations. At the beginning of 1959, the delegation returned to China, and concluded that China did not have the conditions to launch artificial earth satellites, so we should start with rocket sounding according to our actual situation. Their proposal is in line with the spirit of the instructions of the central government on satellite work at that time.
the Political Bureau of the Central Committee allocated a large sum of money to support the Academy of Sciences in developing satellites
In p>1958, after the former Soviet Union and the United States launched artificial earth satellites one after another, scientists of our Academy of Sciences solemnly suggested that China should develop artificial earth satellites. In July and September, 1958, I reported the scientists' suggestions to Nie Zong and the Central Committee twice, and put forward reports on the cooperation between the Academy of Sciences and cutting-edge national defense research and the development of artificial earth satellites.
especially in November 1958, when I attended the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of Wuchang as an alternate member, I reported to the Secretariat of the Central Committee the opinions and plans of scientists on developing artificial satellites, which were approved by the meeting. the Political Bureau of the Central Committee studied and decided to allocate 2 million yuan to support the Academy of Sciences in developing satellites. Shortly after the founding of New China, the country spent a lot of money in various aspects, and anyone can weigh its heavy weight with such a huge sum of money.
how to use the money and spend it on ideas? After carefully consulting the opinions of scientists, the party group of the Academy of Sciences has carefully studied and determined that the special fund will be mainly used to build two research, design and test bases of high-energy fuel, rocket engine and launch vehicle of Shanghai Electromechanical Design Institute, as well as four supporting factories of underwater acoustic workstation, wind tunnel, 581 laboratory, 19 factory, Shanghai, Dalian and Changchun high-energy fuel research laboratories and electronics, automation, high-temperature metal and optics. I specially invited Gu Yu, director of the Institute's New Technology Office (later changed to the New Technology Bureau) to coordinate with the Department of Culture and Education of the Ministry of Finance. After instructions from Vice Premier Li Xiannian, the central special fund was put in place at the end of that year.
considering the restriction of rocket thrust on satellite development, Qian Xuesen advocated that the Academy of Sciences should take the lead in studying high-energy fuels. In 1958, the Academy of Sciences held a conference on high-energy fuels, and organized four chemical institutes in Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and Changchun, nicknamed "the elite of the four families", to develop liquid and solid high-energy fuels, and to explore solid-liquid types, free radicals and heavy hydrogen fuels. With the special fund, since 1959, the Beijing Rocket Engine Test Base, the wind tunnel of the Institute of Mechanics, the rockets of Shanghai Electromechanical Design Institute, the remote control instruments of Beijing 581 Factory and the semiconductor component research facilities of 19 Factory have been established successively.
at this time, I suggested to Mr. Nie to take a two-legged approach, that is, while the Fifth Academy of Sciences used the information of the former Soviet Union and general fuel to study rockets, the Academy of Sciences gave full play to its comprehensive research advantages and explored and innovated on its own, and developed rockets from high-energy fuels, which was approved by Mr. Nie as a supplement to the Fifth Academy of Sciences.
The second part of the Institute of Mechanics, presided over by Lin Hongxun, carried out bench tests on several kinds of liquid and solid fuels successfully developed by various chemical institutes on two test benches of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen rocket engines (interplanetary navigation power) of the same magnitude built in the mountainous area of Beijing. According to the records, more than 1 engine bench tests were carried out and achieved success. The scientific data recorded by the instrument test are provided to the design unit. According to the requirements of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission, all the test data and data were transferred to the Seventh Machinery Department, and the high-energy fuel was put into production and supplied by the industrial department.
The national three-year economic difficulties satellite launch plan has been postponed
A lot of work is needed to launch a satellite into the sky. One of the most difficult things is to develop all the instruments installed on the satellite. It is necessary to build a platform on the ground to simulate the high-altitude vacuum environment, and the instruments should be tested first in this place. To send creatures to the sky, we should also set up high-altitude simulation experimental equipment in Beijing, that is, how the instruments work after the satellite is launched into the sky. Under the condition of vacuum on the ground, all instruments and creatures must be tested first. Plus the satellite itself, what instruments are there? For example, thermal control: when the satellite runs in the air, the temperature on the sunny side is as high as 1 degrees Celsius and the temperature on the shady side is as low as below 1 degrees below zero, and the instruments and equipment must be kept within the range of minus 5 degrees Celsius to plus 4 degrees Celsius to work normally. Min Guirong, a rising star of the Institute of Mechanics and later the president of China Academy of Space Technology, adopted two kinds of temperature control coatings through a lot of measurement, experiment, calculation and theoretical analysis to make the temperature in the instrument cabin meet the overall design requirements.
The Central Special Committee decided that the satellite mission should be undertaken by the Academy of Sciences, and the satellite itself should be mainly developed by the Academy of Sciences. The Academy of Sciences also organizes relevant departments to cooperate. A lot of non-standard equipment is needed in research work. For example, the ground simulation vacuum experimental equipment needs the help of the relevant departments, and we can only test it on the ground, and we must test it under vacuum conditions. Our Academy of Sciences also set up a scientific instrument factory in Beijing as an assembly plant for artificial satellites. At that time, the foreign exchange of the Academy of Sciences was limited, and all the good equipment we bought with foreign exchange was put in the scientific instrument factory, which could make many good things.
Due to three years of economic difficulties, Chen Yun and Deng Xiaoping, two members of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee and vice premiers, respectively said to me, "The satellite will be built again, but it will be delayed a little, because the country is in economic difficulties." On January 21, 1959, I conveyed the instructions of Deng Xiaoping, General Secretary of the Central Secretariat, at the party group meeting of the Academy: "The satellite will not be released next year, which is not commensurate with the national strength."
subsequently, the party group of the academy held a meeting to adjust the space technology plan, put forward the working principle of "thighs become calves, satellites become sounding", decided to adjust the organization, stopped developing large-scale launch vehicles and artificial satellites, and shifted the focus of work to developing sounding rockets. This adjustment is not to dismount the task, but to lay the foundation, starting with the development of sounding rockets and carrying out high-altitude exploration activities; At the same time, we will carry out research on individual technologies related to artificial satellites, as well as the development of measurement and test equipment, so as to prepare for the development of spacecraft technology and ground measurement and control technology in China.
The specific policy put forward by the party group of the Academy is: "Training with sounding rockets, laying the foundation for high-altitude physical exploration, constantly exploring the development direction of satellites, and preparing to build a space environment simulation laboratory." In practical work, we first concentrated on developing T-7 meteorological rocket, and at the same time, we cooperated with the Fifth Academy to develop Heping-1 sounding rocket. On May 4, 1959, Qian Xuesen presided over the meeting on the cooperation and division of labor of Heping-1 rocket, and made specific arrangements for the telemetry system, on-board instruments, structural design, ballistic measurement and the connection with the shooting range. Attending the meeting were Liu Bingyan and Liang Shouyun from the Fifth Academy of Sciences, and Gu Yu and Zhao Jiuzhang from the Academy of Sciences.
concentrate on developing sounding rockets to open the way for satellites
In April p>1961, the manned spacecraft of the former Soviet Union went into space, which attracted great attention from China's scientific and technological circles and national defense departments. China Academy of Sciences organized a symposium on interstellar travel, presided over by Vice President Pei Lisheng, and each time an expert gave a lecture on a special topic. At the first symposium on June 3rd, Qian Xuesen made a central speech entitled "Rocket Power and Its Prospect in Interstellar Navigation in the Soviet Union and the United States Today"; The second lecture, Scientific Exploration of Satellites and Meteorological Rocket Measurement, was given by Zhao Jiuzhang. After each speech, they invited scientists to express their opinions and speak freely. People have come to a conclusion that satellite is actually interacting with missiles, and the rocket acceleration required for launching satellites and missiles is the same thing. Everyone also had a heated discussion on whether to launch satellites with two or three-stage rockets. Later, various scientific and technological problems such as satellite communication and measurement and control, satellite body temperature control and so on were reported and discussed one after another. Symposium continuation 3