Full coverage: Successful Launch of Long March-7 Rocket
China's Long March 7 carrier rocket is set to be launched on Saturday. It is one of the country's latest generation and has taken years of preparation and hard work by engineers and experts. CCTV's reporter has visited the Wenchang satellite launch center and talked to some young engineers contributing to the project.
Computers, computers, and more computers. They fill the monitoring hall of the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center along with this large data screen. They look overwhelming for an average Chinese, but not for He Liang, who's an engineer there.
He came here in 2013 as a member of the 10-man engineering team preparing for the launch of the Long March 7 rocket.
The 30-year-old engineer says the average age of his team members is 25 -- and for most of them, this launch is their first space mission. A big opportunity but also a big challenge.
"The Long March 7 is China's latest generation carrier rocket. All the data work started from zero. We have to carefully monitor the whole process of data collecting, transmission, and final display. If there's any data change, we need to modify it," said He Liang, engineer of Wenchang Satellite Launch Center.
He's tasked to monitor the software and hardware of these terminals, as well as to make sure all data are normal and displayed properly. During the past few years, tens of thousands of engineers and experts have shared efforts for the Long March 7 rocket. He says some of the most important things he values in his job are the lessons and experience he learned from seniors and experts.
"I think we are like screws in this large machine. This is a very big project, and others may think the space project is too advanced to reach. But our job is not that ordinary. It requires you to be very patient and careful. Just do your job well and that will contribute to this space project," said He.
He said his group has some of the youngest engineers in the project -- and that they are more energetic and creative.
That's why he and his team mates are eager to join other aerospace projects, hoping to make a mark on China's future space programs.
The space launch is a huge, systematic project, which requires the precise coordination of a host of relevant departments. These engineers believe their years of dedication will be worth it after a successful launch.