Young scientists blast China into future

gzlaser

from 21st Century

HOW does the Chang'e I lunar probe plot its path across the infinite expanse of space?

The scientists and engineers at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) are its guide. They send thousands of instructions to Chang'e during its 380,000-kilometer journey, minutely altering its course hundreds of times.

But the people behind the messages are not whom you might expect. In the West, the popular image of a rocket scientist is of aging men whose work is impossible to understand. But there are few grizzled hairs here. A new generation is leading the way.

\"Most of the people working in the 274 key positions graduated after 1994, and the average age of the main project managers is 30,\" said Zhang Shengyuan, a high official at BACC.

According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC), about two-thirds of the 10,000 strong aerospace talent pool are young people. Between 1992 and 2003, the average age of rocket designers fell by 18 years.

Qie Weijun, 26, who obtained his master's degree from Tsinghua University in 2005, is one of this new breed of young space scientists.

He manages the telemetry group at BACC, controlling how messages are passed between the Earth and Chang'e I. The group completed 800 programs, every one error-free. \"I'm so proud to be a part of this group, although I am a little bit tired,\" Qie said.

But Qie is being modest. It reportedly took less than three years to prepare the Chang'e mission. This is a very short time compared with the nine years it took Japan.

So why are there so many young people at the forefront of China's space program?

\"From 1968 to 1982, no graduates entered the sixth research institute at CASTC, due to the 'cultural revolution',\" said Pan Houren, 70, the deputy commander of Shenzhou III. \"So to make up for this, they now train the young people more quickly.\"

Innovation

\"The new generation of scientists specialize in innovation,\" said Zhang. For instance, according to him, the thermal control design for Chang'e had been a tough challenge. The side facing the sun has a high temperature, while the other side has a low temperature. As a result, it's hard to maintain a thermal balance inside the satellite.

But Sun Zezhou, 37, deputy chief designer of the satellite, came up with a smart solution. He used a thermal conductive pipe to connect the two sides of the satellite. This would transfer heat from one side to the other, Zhang said.

However, the lack of practical experience became an issue for these young rocket scientists, said Qie. \"Although we completed many experiments in school, they weren't enough for practical work.\"

In order to overcome this problem, young workers bring notebooks and take down the advice of the older generation of experts. \"Every young person here has learned from the experience of their elders. This is our most precious treasure,\" said Zhang.

In the offices of BAAC, with the moon shining overhead, Zhang likes to look out from behind the windows and watch the bustling figures of the new generation. \"Looking at them is like looking at the future of China's aerospace industry.\"

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expanse 宽阔的区域，苍天

infinite 无限的，无穷的

alter 改变

grizzled 灰色的，头发斑白的

telemetry 遥感勘测，遥测技术

forefront 最前面，最前线

thermal 热的，热量的

conductive 传导的