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Sun Jiadong

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Sun Jiadong
孙家栋
Born (1929-04-08) 8 April 1929 (age 95)
Wafangdian, Liaoning, Republic of China
Alma materHarbin Institute of Technology
Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy
AwardsHighest Science and Technology Award (2009)
Medal of the Republic (2019)
Scientific career
FieldsSatellite
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSūn Jiādòng

Sun Jiadong (Chinese: 孙家栋; born 8 April 1929) is a Chinese aerospace engineer who is an expert in carrier rocket and satellite technology. He has long served as a leader of Chinese satellite projects, and is currently the chief designer for the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. Sun is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and of the International Academy of Astronautics. Jiadong is also known as the " Father of Chinese Satellites".[1]

Sun was bestowed the Medal of the Republic, the highest honorary medal of the People's Republic of China, in September 2019.[2]

Early life

Sun was born in Fu County, Liaoning on 8 April 1929. He enrolled in the Harbin Institute of Technology to begin preparatory courses in Russian when he was 18. Later he transferred to the automotive department. Around the time of the Chinese air force formation, he was chosen to join the army as a Russian translator. In 1951, Sun and 29 other soldiers were sent to study aircraft engines at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy in the Soviet Union.[3] In 1958, Sun graduated "with highest honor" and returned to China.[3][4]

Career

After returning to China, Sun served in the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, conducting missile research. In 1967, he was appointed by Qian Xuesen to restructure the staff for satellite research.[3][4] In addition to being in charge of the general design project for China's first satellite, he also worked as the technical superintendent and general designer for both China's first remote sensing satellite and recoverable satellite. He was also the chief designer of a second generation of special application satellites, such as communication, meteorological, and earth resource detecting satellites, as well as the Beidou-2 navigation system.[3]

During the Cultural Revolution, Sun was appointed as the chief scientist of the Chinese satellite project. On April 24, 1970, the first Chinese space satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, was successfully launched. On March 3, 1971, the satellite "Shi Jian I" was launched. In 1975, China's first returning satellite was successfully launched. In 1984, China's first synchronized experimental communication satellite, Dong Fang Hong II was launched. Sun was the chief designer of all of them.[5]

He was elected Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991.[5]

Since 2003, he has been the chief designer for the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP).

Awards and honours

  • 1980 the honorary title of a working model in No 7 Engineering Industry Department[3]
  • 1984 the First-Class Merit Citation by the Ministry Of Aeronautics And Astronautics[3]
  • 1985 two special awards, among them the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology[3]
  • 1999 "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Meritorious Award[3]
  • 2009 National Science and Technology Award[6]
  • 2019 Order of the Republic[7]

References

  1. ^ "瞭望:中国"卫星之父"孙家栋的航天传奇----中国科学院". www.cas.cn. Retrieved 2023-06-03.
  2. ^ "全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于授予国家勋章和国家荣誉称号的决定_滚动新闻_中国政府网". www.gov.cn. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Sun Jiadong, Father of China's Satellite Technology". CCTV.com. 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2010-05-20.
  4. ^ a b "Sun Jiadong, from Dong Fang Hong to Chang-E". CRI.cn. 2008-09-25. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved 2010-05-20.
  5. ^ a b "Sun Jiadong". astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2010-05-20.
  6. ^ "Gu Chaohao, Sun Jiadong awarded 2009 National Science and Technology Award" (in Chinese). The Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China. 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2010-05-20.
  7. ^ "袁隆平、屠呦呦等被授予"共和国勋章"(全名单)". sina.com.cn (in Chinese). 17 September 2019.