Famous Chinese Aerospace Expert Wu Meirong Passes Away at 88
TapTechNews July 31 news, the famous Chinese aerospace science and technology expert, an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics and one of the presidium members, the world's first and so far the only female aerospace science and technology expert awarded the von Kármán Award (TapTechNews note: known as the Nobel Prize in Aerospace Science), the former director of the China Resources Satellite Application Center, the former chief designer and commander-in-chief of the resource satellite engineering application system, one of the founders, the first chairman and senior consultant of the China Remote Sensing Application Association Wu Meirong, passed away in Beijing at 5:20 on July 28, 2024, due to ineffective medical treatment, at the age of 88.
In 1936, Wu Meirong was born in Changzhou, Jiangsu. She once studied at Changzhou High School in Jiangsu. In 1952, she was admitted to the Northwest Institute of Technology (now Northwestern Polytechnical University); in 1953, she went to the preparatory department for studying in the Soviet Union in Beijing; in 1954, she went to Moscow Power Institute in the Soviet Union to study; in 1960, she obtained a master's degree and returned to China, and engaged in missile control research in the First Branch of the Second Institute of the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense (later changed to the 12th Institute of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology); In 1961, she served as the head of the discussion group on the lateral guidance plan of the Dongfeng missile, and completed the task excellently; from 1962 to 1964, she served as the head of the coordinate transformation research group, solved a series of key problems, and the results were successfully applied to the first fully inertial guidance model independently developed in China; until 1977, she participated in more than 20 large-scale tests, served as the deputy captain of the test team 16 times, and eliminated many major faults many times.
In the early 1980s, Wu Meirong undertook the task of informatization and digital transformation of the Long March rocket measurement and control launch. In 1982, she participated in the establishment of the Computer Measurement and Control United Company of the original Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Industry, and was always responsible for technical work from the deputy director to the general manager. In more than 20 models such as strategic/tactical missiles, launch vehicles, and satellites, the computer-aided measurement and control technology (CAMAC) was effectively applied, making China's aerospace measurement and control launch technology enter the international advanced ranks.
In 1985, in the face of the 11th Asian Games (hereinafter referred to as the Asian Games), the first large-scale comprehensive international sports event hosted since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wu Meirong served as the chief designer of the Asian Games electronic service system; after more than five years of overcoming many difficulties, the construction of computer, communication, broadcasting, television and other subsystems was pioneeringly completed and withstood the operation test, providing key support for the successful holding of the Asian Games, forming a civil model of aerospace technology, and also laying a solid foundation and accumulating valuable experience for China's subsequent hosting of a series of major international sports events.
In the late 1980s, China closely followed the international trend to promote the development of its own tra nsmission-type land remote sensing satellite. In order to strengthen the construction of the satellite ground and application system, Wu Meirong was ordered to form the China Resources Satellite Application Center and serve as the director in June 1990; in the face of the national environment of compressing the establishment and streamlining the institutions at that time, through arduous efforts, it was successfully completed on October 5, 1991. On this basis, in the face of the severe situation that all walks of life generally lacked attention to the satellite ground and application system, Wu Meirong served as the chief designer of the CBERS-1 satellite application system, and organized the formation of hundreds of thousands of words of demonstration materials, and made hundreds of reports and communication and coordination to the Premier of the State Council, Vice Premiers, State Councilors and relevant ministries, commissions, enterprises and institutions in various fields, laying a solid foundation for the construction of China's land remote sensing satellite ground system, application promotion and the development of the China Resources Satellite Application Center.
After 2000, Wu Meirong actively engaged in international aerospace exchanges with the International Academy of Astronautics, Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and other platforms and starting points. She was elected as an academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in 2001, and later served as a member of the presidium and the chairperson of the Social Sciences Department. In 2002, she served as the chief expert of space technology application in the Asia-Pacific multilateral space cooperation.
On January 10, 2014, at the World Space Agency Chiefs Summit held in Washington, DC, Wu Meirong was awarded the von Kármán Award to recognize her outstanding contributions to the aerospace industry and international aerospace cooperation for more than 50 years. Mr. Kantan, the secretary-general of the IAA, praised that the national spirit of the Chinese people's diligence, bravery, perseverance and selfless dedication is reflected in her.