Sun Jiadong (; 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 The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; ) is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 106 research i ...

and of the International Academy of Astronautics. Jiadong is also known as the " Father of Chinese Satellites". Sun was bestowed the Medal of the Republic, the highest honorary medal of the People's Republic of China, in September 2019.

Early life

Sun was born in Fu County,

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

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 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. In 1958, Sun graduated "with highest honor" and returned to China.

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. 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. During the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, 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 ''Dong Fang Hong 1'' (), in the western world also known as China 1 or PRC 1, was the first space satellite of the China, People's Republic of China (PRC), launched successfully on 24 April 1970 as part of the PRC's Dongfanghong program, Dong ...

, 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. He was elected Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991. 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 *1984 the First-Class Merit Citation by the Ministry Of Aeronautics And Astronautics *1985 two special awards, among them the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology *1999 " Two Bombs, One Satellite" Meritorious Award *2009 National Science and Technology Award * 2019 Order of the Republic

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun, Jiadong 1929 births Living people Chinese aerospace engineers Chinese expatriates in the Soviet Union Engineers from Liaoning Harbin Institute of Technology alumni Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Space program of the People's Republic of China Recipients of the Order of the Republic (China) People from Wafangdian Highest Science and Technology Award winners