Father of Chinese Space Program Qian Xuesen as a child with his parents. He was born on Dec 11th, 1911 in the last days of Qing Dynasty when child emperor Puyi still sat on the dragon throne. A thread on him and China's journey to the moon

Qian Xuesen (below left) born in old Chinese gentry in Hangzhou which reputedly descend frm royal Qian Clan of 10th cen Wuyue Kingdom. Family fortune in decline near end of Qing dynasty. Mom came frm a rich merchant family. His maternal Grandpa sponsored his Dad to study in Japan

Qian's Dad (left) joined the Chinese Revolutionary mvm while in Japan. After 1911 Chinese Revolution, Dad Qian was made supervisor of Education Board of Zhejiang province. Qian family photo 1914

Young Qian Xuesen attended Jiaotong Uni in Shanghai and went on to study in MIT in 1935 on Boxer Indemnity Scholarship which Teddy Roosevelt made using excess payment China paid to US for the privilege of being invaded by US Marines in Boxer Rebellion in 1900.

Aft Qian Xuesen completed his master degree in MIT, he sought out 1 of the most influential aeronautical engineers Theodore von Kármán who took him on as grad student in PhD program at Caltech in 1936.

While at Caltech, Qian Xuesen hit it off with von Karman's other student Frank Malina who pioneered rocket research at Caltech. Together w Jack Parsons, they co-founded The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Both Qian and Malina are antifacists and attended Communist Party meeting

What Qian and Malina didn't know is that their close assocatiate and co-founder of JPL Jack Parsons was secretly informing on them to the FBI

Frank Malina (left) and Jack Parsons (right) in 1936

Qian Xuesen joined Manhattan Project in WW2. As an US Army colonel, he went to Germany after war to interrogate Nazi scientists, including Wernher von Braun where future of Chinese space program interrogated the future US space program.

Ludwig Prandtl, Qian Xuesen, von Kármán

In 1947, Qian Xuesen went back to China to get married w Jiang Ying. Chiang Kai-shek's KMT gov offered him high post. Not wishing to work for KMT, he return to US w his bride. Upon re-entry, he answered no to whether he is a member of Communist Party. US gov would get him for it

1947 the year when Qian Xuesen returned to US turned out to be a pivotal year in Chinese Civil War. Chinese Communists turn the tide that year and would establish People's Republic of China 3 yrs later in 1949.

Qian Xuesen returned to Caltech as tenured professor in 1949 and took over from his mentor von Karman the directorship of Gugemheim laboratory, continued to work on rocket research. Qian in Pentagon (2nd frm left) 1946. Qian in Caltech 1949

As Chinese People's Volunteer Army pushed US and UN forces back from Yalu River in Korean War in 1950, Era of Red Scare and McCarthyism began in US

In 1949, Qian Xuesen still a citizen of China. In US, that means Republic of China under Chiang Kai-sek which had been prompting Chinese students in US to go to Taiwan. Not wishing to deal w KMT. Qian applied for US citizenship. But there will be no room for him in McCarthyist US

New head of JPL, South Africa borned Louis G. Dunn (below left) suspicious of anyone he deemed "leftists". In 1949, Dunn gave FBI list of JPL engineers he suspect to be spies, people on list all either Chinese or Jewish – included Qian Xuesen

In 1950, Qian Xuesen's security clearance was revoked and he was questioned by FBI. In response he announced that he would resign frm Caltech and return to mainland China which is already under control of Mao's gov.

US Customs seized Qian belongings to be shipped to China alleging containing top secret documents which later turned out to contain no classified material.

Qian's alien registration at INS

US gov detained Qian Xuesen on a technicality because he attended a Communist Party meeting w friends in 1938 while in Caltech but he answered no to whether he was ever member of Communist Party when returning frm China in 1947.

Qian letter asking for help frm friend in China

US gov decided to put Qian under house arrest for 5 yrs hoping his research would be out of date in the meantime. Then in 1955, under a rumored swap deal for 11 US pilots shot down and held in China, Qian was allowed to board ship for China frm LA.

Qian Xuesen family finally reunited in Shanghai in 1955. Embittered by his treatment at hands of US gov, Qian would devote himself for the rest of life to build Chinese Space (Ballistic Missiles) Program

In 1956, Qian Xuesen founded China's Rocket/Missiles Program. This is the beginning of China's moon shot

While Communist Qian Xuesen returned to China to become the father of Chinese Space program, Nazi scientist Wernher von Braun whom he had interrogated in 1945 became the father of the US Space Program

Qian Xuesen supported decision to move his alma mater Jiaotong Uni frm Shanghai to inland Xi'an, away from possible US coastal assault in 1959. My Dad attend Xi'an Jiaotong Uni 4 years later. 40 yrs after Qian left US, I attended Caltech. That's my Qian Xuesen connection.

Qian Xuesen hosted by Mao in 1964

Oct 27, 1966, Qian Xuesen presided over China's 1st test launch of DongFeng-2 missile with a 12 kt nuclear warhead

June 1980, Qian Xuesen inspect landing site of Chinese ICBM test in South Pacific on board of Chinese survey ship. Today Chinese nuclear tipped ICMB capable of cover most of continental US

Qian Xuesen with 4 generations of Chinese leadership. Qian passed away in 2009, age 98

I have another thread about Qian Xuesen's friend and fellow US returnee Guo Yonghuai, father of Chinese nuke program https://twitter.com/CarlZha/status/1289189943739211778?s=20

I talked to @gerhydra abt how father of Chinese Space Program Qian Xuesen came to US on a scholarship funded by excess Chinese payment to US for the privilege of being invaded by US Marines in 1900 Boxer Rebellion

Full interview on YouTube:

Audio only version of the Silk and Steel #podcast @SteelSilkn on Chinese Space Program on Patreon for patrons https://www.patreon.com/posts/44714029