What imprints of traditional culture are there in aerospace engineering?

On July 12, 2024, Cui Wanzhao, a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, gave a speech entitled "Traditional Culture in Aerospace Engineering" at the Shaanxi special event of the China Starry Sky Science Popularization Forum "Exploring the Starry Sky and Touching the Future".

The Chinese have had the dream of flying since ancient times. Chang'e flew to the moon, Zhurong explored Mars, and Xihe explored the sun... From the dreams of ancient myths to the frequent achievements in aerospace in recent years, the Chinese have been reaching higher and farther into space step by step.

As lunar, Mars and solar explorations turn ancient mythological dreams into reality, China's space industry is also deeply embedded in the imprint of traditional culture.

The names of many aerospace projects are cleverly borrowed from ancient myths, which are full of Chinese romanticism and fit the characteristics of spacecraft. The perfect fusion of modern technology and traditional culture reflects the scientific spirit and romantic feelings of Chinese astronauts, and also demonstrates the Chinese people's spirit of exploration and cultural confidence.

Solar Exploration: Xihe and Kuafu

On October 14, 2021, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center successfully launched the "Xihe" solar exploration science and technology experimental satellite, and my country officially entered the "solar exploration era."

In ancient Chinese mythology, Xihe is the goddess of the sun and the goddess who made the calendar, and is known as the mother of the sun. The name "Xihe" means "following Xihe's example of riding a celestial horse and aiming to herd the stars in the sky", symbolizing the origin and expansion of China's exploration of the sun.

As the first envoy sent by China to observe the sun, Xihe will observe the sun for people. It runs in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 517 kilometers from the earth, orbiting the earth 15 times a day, and "doing CT scans" for the sun.

In August 2022, the Xihe satellite was officially released, achieving five world firsts, including the in-orbit performance verification and engineering application of the "double-ultra" (ultra-high pointing accuracy and ultra-high stability) satellite platform technology. Next, Xihe-2 will conduct a three-dimensional exploration of the sun.

The legend of Kuafu chasing the sun and finally turning into Kuafu Mountain is widely known. The Classic of Mountains and Seas describes it this way: "Kuafu chased the sun and entered the sun; he was thirsty and wanted to drink, so he drank from the Yellow River and the Wei River; the Yellow River and the Wei River were not enough, so he drank from the Great Lake in the north." The story of "Kuafu chasing the sun" expresses the spirit of the ancient Chinese ancestors who were ambitious, explored nature, and were brave and tenacious, and embodies the Chinese nation's unremitting pursuit of trying to uncover the mystery of the sun for thousands of years.

On October 9, 2022, my country successfully launched the "Kuafu-1" satellite (Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory). The Chinese Solar Observatory satellite is named "Kuafu", which means to always chase the sun, hold dreams in mind, pursue dreams unremittingly, and realize dreams persistently.

Lunar Exploration: Chang'e and Yutu

Everyone has heard of the story of Chang'e flying to the moon: there is a Guanghan Palace on the moon, in which lives a fairy Chang'e, with a sweet-scented osmanthus tree and a jade rabbit beside her. For thousands of years, the myth of "Chang'e flying to the moon" has been an indelible imagination and concern in the hearts of the Chinese people.

In 2004, China officially launched the lunar exploration project, named "Chang'e Project", which is divided into three stages: "unmanned lunar exploration", "manned lunar landing" and "establishing a lunar base". The Chang'e Project has achieved many results, including: in 2007, Chang'e-1 realized my country's first lunar orbit exploration; in 2010, Chang'e-2 exceeded 100 million kilometers from the earth, setting a record for the farthest flight of Chinese spacecraft; in 2013, Chang'e-3 achieved a soft landing on the moon, leaving the footprints of Yutu on the moon; in 2018, Chang'e-4 realized the first visit of a human probe to the back of the moon; in 2020, Chang'e-5 realized China's first unmanned lunar sampling return, and then in September 2022, Chinese scientists discovered "Chang'e Stone" in the lunar samples carried by Chang'e-5 returner. This is the sixth new mineral discovered by humans on the moon, and my country has become the third country in the world to discover new minerals on the moon.

During the lunar exploration project, the lunar rover was named "Yutu". Yutu, also known as the Moon Rabbit, was the pet of Chang'e in ancient Chinese mythology and legends, and was responsible for pounding medicine in the Moon Palace. Yutu is kind, pure, and agile, and is similar in both appearance and spirit to the lunar rover's structure and mission, reflecting my country's position on the peaceful use of space.

Mars Exploration: A Journey to the Sun

In ancient times, Mars was called "Yinghuo". It belongs to the element of fire in the five elements, so it is called Mars. This fiery red planet that floats in the night sky has aroused people's curiosity since ancient times. If the future of human space exploration is the sea of ​​stars in the universe, then there is no reason for the Chinese not to explore Mars.

However, the distance of 55 million kilometers at the closest and 400 million kilometers at the farthest means that Mars exploration is not easy.

On July 23, 2020, my country's first Mars probe, Tianwen-1, was successfully launched. Its mission goal is to achieve Mars orbit, landing and patrol exploration through a single launch, and obtain scientific data on Mars exploration. On May 15, 2021, the Tianwen-1 lander successfully landed on Mars; on June 7, 2021, the National Space Administration released a high-resolution image of the landing area of ​​China's first Mars exploration mission, Tianwen-1.

The name "Tianwen-1" comes from Qu Yuan's "Heavenly Questions". In "Heavenly Questions", Qu Yuan raised 173 questions about heaven, earth, nature, philosophy, etc., which include Qu Yuan's ultimate thinking about the universe, from how the heaven and earth were formed to why the moon is full and crescent, to various details in ancient mythology. "Tianwen-1" is the first Mars exploration mission among my country's planetary exploration missions, implying that the journey to explore scientific truth is long and the pursuit of scientific and technological innovation is endless. The planetary exploration mission is named "Tianwen", which expresses the Chinese nation's tenacity and persistence in the pursuit of truth and reflects the cultural heritage of exploring nature and space.

In addition, the Mars rover is named "Zhurong". Zhurong is the god of fire in ancient mythology, and is recorded in dozens of ancient books such as "Zuo Zhuan", "Historical Records", "Classic of Mountains and Seas", and "Book of Rites". According to legend, Nanyue Hengshan, one of the Five Sacred Mountains in China, located in present-day Hunan Province, was the place where Zhurong implemented fire policies and managed southern affairs. After Zhurong's death, people named the highest peak of Hengshan to commemorate him. Today, the "Zhurong Peak" of Nanyue Hengshan is towering into the sky, and a "Zhurong Temple" is built on the top of the mountain. Literary and historical experts have introduced that the original meaning of "Zhu" in ancient language is the tribal chieftain and religious leader who presided over major ceremonies in ancient times, and "Rong" means light. Therefore, "Zhurong" means to be in charge of light, which can be extended to pursue and yearn for light. "Zhurong" means to ignite the fire of China's interstellar exploration, guiding astronauts to constantly surpass themselves and pursue their dreams of the stars.

Author: Cui Wanzhao, researcher at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation