Two Bombs, One Satellite (Chinese:两弹一星;pinyin:liǎng dàn, yī xīng) was anuclear weapon,intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), andartificial satellite development program by thePeople's Republic of China. China detonated itsfirst fission andfirst thermonuclear weapons in 1964 and 1967 respectively, combined a nuclear weapon with asurface-to-surface missile in 1966, and successfully launched itsfirst satellite in 1970.[1][2]
In the 1940s and 1950s, a group of notable scientists includingQian Weichang,Qian Xuesen,Deng Jiaxian,Peng Huanwu andQian Sanqiang returned tomainland China.[3][4][5]
United States PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower's threats during theFirst Taiwan Strait Crisis to use nuclear weapons against military targets inFujian province prompted Mao to begin China's nuclear program.[6]: 89–90 In January 1955,Mao Zedong expressed the intention of developingatomic bombs during a meeting of theSecretariat of the Chinese Communist Party.[7]
In 1956, hundreds of experts were called byZhou Enlai,Chen Yi,Li Fuchun andNie Rongzhen to make plans for China's scientific development, eventually creating an outline of development for the period from 1956 to 1967 (1956-1967年科学技术发展远景规划纲要).[8]
In 1958, Mao formally announced the development of nuclear bombs, missiles and satellite.[7]
At the same time, theSoviet Union had provided China with important assistance since 1955, even though on December 10, 1957, the Soviet Union proposed that theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom, and theUSSR should halt nuclear weapons tests for the next two to three years, to which China supported.[9][10][11]
In 1956, the Third Ministry of Machinery Building was established, and nuclear research was conducted at the Institute of Physics and Atomic Energy in Beijing. In 1957, China and the USSR signed an agreement on sharing defense technology that involved a prototypeboosted fission weapon being supplied by Moscow to Beijing, technical data, and an exchange of hundreds of Russian and Chinese scientists.[12][13] A joint search for uranium in China was conducted between the two countries. A location near LakeLop Nur inXinjiang was selected to be the test site with its headquarters at Malan. Construction of the test site began on 1 April 1960, involving tens of thousands of laborers and prisoners under tough conditions.[14] It took four years to complete. Being the sole site for nuclear testing in China for years to come, the Lop Nur test site underwent extensive expansion and is by far the world's largest nuclear weapons test site, covering around 100,000 square kilometers.[15] From 1958, theLanzhou uranium enrichment plant was constructed withgaseous diffusion technology.
Sino-Soviet relations worsened in the late 1950s.[16][17] The Soviet Union withdrew the delivery of a prototype bomb[11] and over 1,400 Russian advisers and technicians involved in 200 scientific projects in China meant to foster cooperation between the two countries.[16]
AfterNikita Khrushchev decided to stop helping the Chinese with their nuclear program on 20 June 1959, Mao shifted toward an overall policy of self-reliance.Project 596, named after the month of June 1959, was initiated as an independent nuclear project. The Second Ministry of Machine Building Industry, which oversaw China's nuclear industry, continued with the development of an atomic bomb.[13] By 14 January 1964, enough fissionable U-235 had been successfully enriched from the Lanzhou plant. On 16 October 1964, a uranium-235 fission implosion device, weighing 1550 kilograms was detonated on a 102-meter tower.[14]
In 1961–62, there was a disagreement among senior officials of theChinese Communist Party and the Chinese government on whether China should continue with the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project.[18] Eventually, in November 1962, a central committee led by Zhou Enlai, Nie Rongzhen and others was established, and the project was carried on.[14][18]
In 1966, Mao launched theCultural Revolution. Academics and intellectuals were regarded asStinking Old Ninth and were widely persecuted.[14] In 1968, among the leading scientists who worked on the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program,Yao Tongbin a member of the 916"rebel" faction was beaten to death by"conservative" Red Guards,Zhao Jiuzhang committed suicide,[19][20] andGuo Yonghuai died in a plane crash.[21] By September 1971, more than 4,000 staff members of China's nuclear center inQinghai were persecuted. More than 310 of them were permanently disabled, over 40 people committed suicide, and five wereexecuted.[22] Many researchers with overseas education background (especially from theUnited States and theUnited Kingdom) were regarded as "spies".[23] Only a few scientists includingQian Xuesen were protected in the Revolution because ofa special list made by Premier Zhou Enlai (approved by Mao) in August 1966.[14]
| Reactor location | Name | Began operation | Shut down | Design power | Upgraded power | Total energy | Total weapons-grade plutonium produced | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiuquan, Gansu | Plant 404 | October 1966 | 1984 | 250 MWth | 300 MWth | 1050 GWth-days | 0.9 tons | Graphite-moderated, water-cooled |
| Guangyuan, Sichuan | Plant 821 | December 1973 | 1989? | 250 MWth | 325 MWth | 1300 GWth-days | 1.1 tons | Graphite-moderated, water-cooled |
| Plant location | Name | Began operation | Ended HEU production | Initial output | Upgraded output | Total SWU | Total HEU produced | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanzhou, Gansu | Plant 504 | 1964 | 1979 | 20,000 SWU/yr | 180,000 SWU/yr | 1.1 million SWU | 6 tons | Gaseous diffusion |
| Heping,Jinkouhe, Sichuan | Plant 814 | 1975 | 1987 | 100,000 SWU/yr | 230,000 SWU/yr | 2.7 million SWU | 14 tons | Gaseous diffusion |
Ultimately, China developed the atomic and hydrogen bombs in record time.[30]: 218
After the Cultural Revolution,Deng Xiaoping became the newparamount leader of China and started theBoluan Fanzheng program. Scientists and intellectuals were rehabilitated and, in particular,Yao Tongbin was honored as amartyr.[31] Deng emphasized that knowledge and talented people must be respected, and the wrong thought of disrespecting intellectuals must be opposed.[32]
In 1986, four leading scientists who had worked on the Two Bombs, One Satellite program proposed to Deng that China must stimulate the development of advanced technologies. Upon Deng's approval, the863 Program was launched.[33]
In 1999, twenty-three scientists who had made significant contributions in the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" program were awarded theTwo Bombs and One Satellite Merit Award (Chinese:两弹一星功勋奖章).[34][35] In 2015, the "Two Bombs, One Satellite Memorial Museum" was opened on theHuairou campus of theUniversity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.[36]
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