Tu Shou’e: A Visionary in China’s Aerospace History

Today, we’ll talk about the life of a Chinese aerospace engineer, an expert in the field of structural mechanics, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the design of China’s intercontinental ballistic missiles and Long March carrier rockets.

Transcript

Tu Shou’e: A Visionary in China’s Aerospace History

Today, we’ll talk about the life of a Chinese aerospace engineer, an expert in the field of structural mechanics, who has made groundbreaking contributions to the design of China’s intercontinental ballistic missiles and Long March carrier rockets.

At the end of April 2024, the drama Tu Shou’e in a Hundred Years concluded its five-year national tour. This play, written by the young playwright Wang Su from the Beijing People’s Art Theatre and directed by Li Yin from the Chinese National Academy of Arts, portrays the crucial choices made by Tu Shou’e in his youth, adolescence, middle age, and old age, showcasing his unique contributions to China’s aerospace industry.

Since its debut in 2019, the drama has been performed at various theatres around the country for five years, staging 17 performances. Starting from the Yongman Theater at the Shahe Campus of Beihang University in Beijing, it was next staged at the Nanxun Grand Theater in the city of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, before moving on to the Beijing Science Center, and finally the Cultural Auditorium of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Second Academy. Over the course of the show’s tour, the number of viewers came to over 40,000, while online viewers exceeded 14 million.

Now, let’s talk about the man that inspired the play. Tu Shou’e was born on December 5, 1917 in Nanxun district of Huzhou, an area that has long been known as the “Land of Poetry and Books,” with a fine tradition of valuing culture and education. Tu Shou’e’s father, Tu Weiping, was a famed scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, China’s last dynasty, which lasted from 1644 to 1911. Although the family’s financial situation was not affluent, they made certain their children received a good education. Tu Shou’e studied in his hometown during his youth and later attended the Zhejiang Provincial Second High School and the Jiangsu Provincial Shanghai High School.

On January 29, 1932, while passing through the Shanghai docks preparing to return home, Tu Shou’e suddenly heard a series of thunderous roars emanating from the sky. Japanese bombers plunged down one after another, dropping a barrage of bombs. The once bustling and lively docks instantly turned into a sea of flames. This unforgettable experience instilled in him the determination to “save the country through aviation.”

In 1936, with the determination to contribute to the country’s aviation industry, Tu Shou’e enrolled in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tsinghua University, and later transferred to the Department of Aeronautics after one year. Following the outbreak of the full-scale War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he embarked on an arduous journey of over 80 days on foot with fellow students and faculty to Kunming in Yunnan Province, where he completed his studies at the Southwest Associated University.

In 1940, Tu Shou’e graduated from the Department of Aeronautics at Tsinghua University. In 1941, he went to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He obtained his master’s degree in 1943. In order to better apply theory to practice, he applied for a position at the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in the United States, where he worked as an aircraft structural analysis engineer. He cherished this valuable practical opportunity and dedicated himself to his work day and night, absorbing all the technical knowledge he could. On the day after learning of the victory of War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1945, without any hesitation, he resigned from his job and returned to China.

With a heart eager to return, Tu Shou’e crossed the North American continent from Buffalo, New York in the Great Lakes region of the United States all the way to San Francisco, California on the west coast. Since there were no passenger ships heading directly to China, he boarded a troop transport bound for Qingdao in Shandong Province. After several weeks at sea, he had finally returned to China. 

Upon returning home and completing his studies, Tu Shou’e served as an associate professor in the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at the Southwest Associated University, as well as an associate professor and later a professor in the Department of Aeronautics at Tsinghua University. From the time of his return until 1957, Tu Shou’e dedicated himself to research and teaching in aircraft structural mechanics.

In February 1957, at the invitation of Marshal Nie Rongzhen, he joined the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense. There, under the leadership of Director Qian Xuesen, he became one of the directors of the Ten Major Research Laboratories, responsible for research on missile structural strength and environmental conditions. Missile research presented a completely new challenge for Tu Shou’e. Like many experts at the time, he started from scratch, conducting missile research via trial and error.

After the mid-1950s, relations between China and the Soviet Union began to deteriorate, and Soviet experts withdrew their support in 1961. In this critical situation, Tu Shou’e was appointed as the Vice President of a branch of the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense, taking full charge of technical work. He and his colleagues extensively solicited opinions, delved into front-line scientific research and production, and devoted themselves to studying. They formulated the “Eight-Year Four-Missile” plan, with “Four Missiles” referring to short-range, medium-range, intermediate-range, and intercontinental missiles. This plan became the blueprint for the development of missile and rocket technology in China.

In March of 1965, a significant decision was made by the central government: to produce China’s first intercontinental missile as soon as possible. Tu Shou’e was appointed as the chief designer of this project, and he focused all his energy and experience on the task. 

In 1968, Tu Shou’e formulated the preliminary design plan for the intercontinental missile. On September 10, 1971, China successfully conducted a half-range flight test of the first domestically developed intercontinental missile. However, for the intercontinental missile to be put into service, it needed to undergo a full-range flight test. Unfortunately, this test was postponed for a whole nine years.

It wasn’t until 1980 that Tu Shou’e began preparations for the long-range test of the intercontinental missile. He shuttled between the rocket test site and the launch site every day, conducting various tests. Sometimes, he worked for up to 20 hours a day. Within just one month, he lost over 10 kilograms of weight.

As the missile stood erect on the launch pad, Tu Shou’e had gone without sleep for two days and nights. Nevertheless, he climbed onto the launch pad once again to conduct a final inspection carefully. On May 18, 1980, as the chief designer of China’s first intercontinental missile, Tu Shou’e signed his name on the certificate declaring the missile “ready for launch.” Accompanied by a thunderous roar, the missile soared through the clouds, crossed the equator, and precisely hit its target thousands of miles away. This marked a new milestone in China’s strategic missile and nuclear capabilities, demonstrating its intercontinental strike capability.

While working on the development of China’s intercontinental missiles, Tu Shou’e also served as the chief designer of the Long March 2 carrier rocket. In November 1975, the Long March 2 carrier rocket, derived from the improvements made to the intercontinental missile, successfully launched China’s first recoverable remote sensing satellite, marking the practical application of China’s carrier rocket technology.

To meet the diverse needs of launching different satellites, Tu Shou’e led the adaptation of the Long March 2 carrier rocket’s technical specifications. This effort resulted in the successful development of the Long March 2C carrier rocket, which exhibited significantly enhanced technical capabilities and expanded payload capacity. The utilization of this rocket played a crucial role in advancing China’s carrier rocket technology.

With forward-thinking vision, Tu Shou’e proposed the optimal approach for developing large carrier rockets with high speed and minimal input. He said, “We need rockets with greater thrust, and the solution is to ‘bundle’ them.” Later, China developed the Long March 2E rocket, which was based on the Long March 2C and improved through technological advancements such as the use of booster rockets, thus creating the “Long March 2 Bundled” rocket.

To expedite the development of the “Long March 2 Bundled” rocket, even in his advanced age, Tu Shou’e personally visited the front lines and collaborated with relevant experts to discuss and research the mathematical models, calculation methods, and test plans for the bundled rocket’s dynamics. Simultaneously, he actively promoted the significance of developing bundled rockets for China’s aerospace advancement, driving China’s carrier technology to surpass the world’s advanced levels.

On July 16, 1990, the first successful launch of the Long March 2 Bundled rocket took place. This achievement marked a world aerospace miracle as China’s aerospace team developed a new type of bundled rocket within 18 months. It laid the foundation for China’s entry into the international market for carrier rockets.

In 1984, China’s missile and aerospace technology faced crucial decisions regarding future development. Tu Shou’e collected extensive data, analyzed the historical development, current status, and gaps in China’s missile and aerospace technology, as well as its role and significance in national economic construction, national defense, and scientific and technological progress. He proposed strategic recommendations for the development of missile and aerospace technology, and his suggestions received much attention from top leaders and thus played an active role in formulating a new development blueprint for China’s missile and aerospace technology.

After stepping back from the front line, Tu Shou’e served as a senior technical advisor to the Ministry of Aerospace Industry, China Aerospace Corporation, and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Tu Shou’e dedicated himself to the cause of aerospace since his youth, working tirelessly at the forefront of China’s aerospace industry until the end of his life. He said, “the happiest thing is to complete one task after another.”

In 1998, Tu Shou’e donated 300,000 yuan, approximately US$41,400 from his personal savings to establish the “Hongzhi Poverty Assistance Fund” at Beihang University. He specifically instructed that the fund not be named after him and that there should be no publicity about it. The purpose of this scholarship was to support students who were (and I quote) “poor but ambitious, persevering in adversity, willing to change the face of their country and hometown; leading a simple life, willing to help others; with a proper attitude towards learning, and courageous in seeking truth.”

In 1999, Tu Shou’e was awarded the “Two Bombs and One Satellite” Medal for his outstanding contributions to China’s missile and satellite programs. Together with Liang Shoupan, Huang Weilu and Ren Xinmin, Tu Shou’e is considered one of the “Four Elders of China’s Aerospace Industry”. He passed away in Beijing in December 2012 at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy of dedication and achievement.

Well, that’s the end of our podcast. Our theme music is by the famous film score composer Roc Chen. We want to thank our writer Lü Weitao, translator Du Guodong, and copy editor Pu Ren. And thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, please tell a friend so they, too, can understand The Context.