Impressed Internet users marvel at achievements of China prodigy who shoots for stars, dubbing him ‘rocket boy’. — SCMP
An 11-year-old boy who taught himself programming, physics, and chemistry, then wrote 600 lines of code to build a rocket, has become an online sensation in China.
Yan Hongsen, who has become known as “rocket boy”, is a Primary Five student from Zhejiang province in eastern China.
The only child has been documenting his rocket development journey on Douyin, attracting 440,000 followers.
His father told the Post that after visiting a launch centre and witnessing the Long March-2 liftoff when he was four years old, Yan fell in love with rockets and astronomy.
Since kindergarten, he has taken online programming courses and self-studied physics and chemistry via books, videos and forums with astronomy enthusiasts.
To support his interest in aerospace, Yan’s parents converted their living room into a rocket research studio for their son.
Starting in August 2022, Yan spent 10 months building his first homemade solid-fuel rocket.
In June 2023, he launched his first rocket, naming it Sen Xing, which means “moving forward”, and symbolises his desire to reach greater heights in aerospace.
However, shortly after the rocket ascended, its booster failed to deploy its parachute after separation. The remaining components also sustained damage, leading to its crash.
Undeterred, Yan gathered the scattered debris without showing any sadness, and set about analysing the cause of the failure.
“The nitrocellulose didn’t explode as expected, the spring and lithium battery were also damaged. Maybe there is still an issue with the rocket’s body connection,” Yan said.
The boy’s father recounted the maiden launch, telling the Post: “For me, although it crashed, the rocket’s first flight was still a success. I was extremely excited and thrilled, while my son remained very calm.”
Now, the rocket boy is modifying his second version of the rocket, hoping to launch it again in the future.
In his latest video, Yan showcased over 600 lines of code he wrote for the latest rocket’s flight control system.
His father said that Yan has a clear plan for his future, hoping to get into one of China’s seven prestigious civilian defence universities.
Yan’s dream is to build a real rocket for China to explore the universe when he grows up.
His father, who works in the tourism industry, wrote on social media: “I don’t understand aerospace, but I will always accompany my son.”
“As parents, we fully support our child’s dreams. If he encounters technical difficulties that he can’t solve, he always contacts me, and I try my best to reach out to experts for help,” the father told the Post.
He added that his son’s academic performance in other subjects ranks among the top in his class.
The youngster’s story has attracted much attention on mainland social media.
“This must be the youngest person to build a rocket in China. I’m so proud of him,” one online observer wrote on Weibo.
“His parents are remarkable for unconditionally supporting their child’s dreams,” said another.
It is not the first time rocket boy has made national headlines in China.
In July 2022, aged nine, he gained recognition for pointing out factual errors in an astronomy documentary. He was also teaching aerospace classes to fellow pupils at his primary school by this point. – South China Morning Post
