BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Wang Xiji, a Chinese space scientist who made pioneering contributions to China's rocket and satellite programs, died of illness in Beijing at the age of 105 on Wednesday, the China Academy of Space Technology announced.
His career spanned several fields of the country's early space development, including sounding rockets, carrier rockets, recoverable satellites and modern small satellites.
He championed and participated in establishing the disciplines of unguided rocket technology and space recovery technology. He led the development of China's first sounding rocket, proposed the technical plan for the first carrier rocket, and supervised the development of multiple recoverable satellites, making China the third country in the world to master satellite recovery tech capabilities, the academy said.
In 1999, Wang was awarded the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Meritorious Service Medal, a national honor that recognizes extraordinary contributions to the country's early nuclear, missile and satellite programs. ■
