09:55
Sun Jiadong, the chief designer of the Beidou system, attended the completion and opening ceremony of the third generation of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, or the BDS-3. The ceremony was held in Beijing on Friday.
Sun, 91, in a wheelchair, waved to the participants and staff. He is a member of the China Academy of Science and one of the founding fathers of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" and also a senior aerospace expert.
As one of the three major experts involved with the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Sun personally experienced, participated in, witnessed and directed the development of the Chinese aerospace program from the beginning.
He is also the chief designer of China's first satellite Dongfanghong 1 and has witnessed all of the significant moments in the history of China's aerospace exploration.
On September 29, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded the "Medal of the Republic" to Sun, the "representative of thousands of outstanding individuals who have contributed to the party and the people wholeheartedly".
Sun led the team of China's BDS-1 and BDS-2, as well as the establishment of the BDS-3, paving the way for future satellite navigation development in China.
(Produced by Ma Wenqian and Zhu Zhenlun; Story compiled by Song Zhe; Video source: CCTV News)
