Post-90s beauty boxer grapples four men
3,000-year-old tea town through lenses
22 archaeological sites along Silk Road in China
Football babies, Samba dancers embrace 'World Cup'
Beautiful scenery along China’s Grand Canal
High speed train attendants receive training in Chongqing
Rare rainbow clouds seen in Fujian
Small bracelet going global
Aerial Photography: Amazing Tianshan Mountains
'Animals' in 2014 World Cup
CHALLENGING CAUSE
Anxiety over the success of China's moon rover was ever present.
"When we were drawing up the blueprints, we were very confident. But during the development process, all sorts of problems, which we'd never thought of, popped up. Our confidence was battered," Jia says.
"After the problems were solved with efforts, we regained the confidence," he adds.
He discovered an oversight in the design late in the development, when computer analysis revealed that the rover could lose contact with the earth if its antenna was shaded by the lander.
"We were tortured for a whole month before the problems were solved," says Jia.
"It showed a lack of experience. If we had a lot of experience for reference, it would have been gross negligence if we hadn't considered such problems. But for the moon rover, there were too many new problems and these problems were overlooked at first."
Before the lunar probe left factory, Jia's superiors asked if he was confident.
"Yes, I am confident because I've done all I want to do, all I must do and all I am required to do," Jia replied.
On behalf of his team, Jia signed a responsibility certificate, committing to the mission's success, which he framed and put on his desk.
"But even though we spare no effort to achieve success, we cannot be 100 percent sure of success," he admits.
Jia has worked to popularize space science among children and stimulate their interest in the universe.
Once in a high school competition, a student's self-made "moon rover" failed to pick up a cigarette case with its robotic arm. Jia encouraged him: "It's important to find the problems. As long as you find the problems, you have the basis to solve them."
Jia's next goal is Mars: "I hope before my retirement, the Chinese people can begin exploring Mars. I hope we can send a rover, better than Yutu, to Mars."
![]() |
Featured hutongs in Beijing
Separate college entrance exam
Flash mob dance
Picturesque scenery of Ghost City
Children attend First Writing Ceremony
Female master poses for graduation photos with son
Silk Road, China's Grand Canal listed as World Heritage Sites
PKU students imitate famous paintings in real-person photos
Chinese 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Islands in S. China Sea better shown on new vertical atlas of China
Girl takes father’s portrait to travel the world
Images of Xi'an: Part one
In Pictures: Female fans of World Cup
Top 20 hottest women in the world in 2014
China's top 10 representative architecturesDay|Week|Month