Yan Hongsen, 11, from Zhejiang, China, has become an online sensation after writing 600 lines of code to build a rocket. South China Morning PostYan’s interest in rockets began when she saw a Long March-2 take off at the age of four. Since then she has taken online courses and self-studied physics and chemistry.
Yan spent 10 months building his first homemade solid-fuel rocket, which was launched in August 2022. He launched the rocket, named Cen Jing, in June 2023. Although it crashed due to a parachute malfunction, Yan remained calm and analyzed the cause of the failure.
“The nitrocellulose did not explode as expected, the spring and lithium battery were also damaged. There may still be a problem with the rocket’s body connection,” Yan said.
He now plans to launch his second rocket and hopes to gain admission to one of China’s seven prestigious civilian defense universities. His ultimate dream is to build a real rocket for China to explore the universe.
The young genius has been documenting his rocket development journey on social media, earning him over 440,000 followers. His parents are also supporting him, turning their living room into a rocket research studio.
The boy’s father shared his pride and excitement with him. SCMP Recalling the first launch, he said, “Although the rocket crashed, I considered its first flight a victory. I was overjoyed with excitement, but my son took it in stride and remained remarkably calm and composed.”
“I don’t understand aerospace, but I will always be there for my son. As parents, we fully support our child’s dreams. If he faces technical difficulties that he can’t solve, he always contacts me, and I try my best to reach out to experts for help,” his father said.
His achievement has attracted the attention of educators, tech enthusiasts and space lovers around the world. His achievements have also gone viral on mainland Chinese social media, attracting the attention of millions and earning him a reputation as a prodigy.
“His parents are remarkable for unconditionally supporting their child’s dreams,” wrote one user, while another commented, “This must be the youngest person to build a rocket in China. I’m so proud of him.”
