page_title: Two Bombs, One Satellite
section_title: Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution
hierarchical_section_title: Two Bombs, One Satellite / History / Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution
caption_attribution_description: 中文（简体）‎: 姚桐斌塑像，无锡博物院
context_page_description: Two Bombs, One Satellite was an early nuclear and space project of the People's Republic of China. Two Bombs refers to the atomic bomb and the intercontinental ballistic missile, while One Satellite refers to the artificial satellite. China tested its first atomic bomb and first hydrogen bomb in 1964 and 1967 respectively, combining the atomic bomb with surface-to-surface missile in 1966, and successfully launched its first satellite in 1970.
context_section_description: Since 1958, the researches on "Two Bombs, One Satellite" were negatively impacted by the Anti-Rightist Campaign and the Great Leap Forward, which caused the deaths of tens of millions in the Great Chinese Famine. In addition, since the Sino-Soviet split in late 1950s, the Soviet Union gradually ended its assistance to China and recalled all of its experts - although in 1958, China had created its first experimental nuclear pile with the help of the Soviet Union.
  In 1961–62, there was a disagreement among senior officials of the Communist Party of China as well as the Chinese government on whether China should continue with the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project. Eventually, in November 1962, a central committee led by Zhou Enlai, Nie Rongzhen and others was established, and the project was carried on.
  In 1966, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution. Academics and intellectuals were regarded as "Stinking Old Ninth" and were widely persecuted. In 1968, among the leading scientists who worked on the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program, Yao Tongbin was beaten to death and Zhao Jiuzhang committed suicide, while Guo Yonghuai was killed in a plane crash. As of September 1971, more than 4,000 staff members of China's nuclear center in Qinghai were persecuted; more than 310 of them were permanently disabled, over 40 people committed suicide, and five were executed. Many researchers with overseas education background (especially from the United States and the United Kingdom) were regarded as "spies". Only a few scientists including Qian Xuesen were protected in the Revolution because of a special list made by Premier Zhou Enlai (approved by Mao) in August 1966.
caption: Yao Tongbin, a leading missile expert of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program, was beaten to death in 1968 during the Cultural Revolution. He was one of the many scientists and other intellectuals who were persecuted.
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