Peng Shilu

File:Peng Shilu jailed in 1933 (8 years old).jpg. The photo was taken by the Kuomintang authorities when he was arrested.]]

Image:Peng Shilu and his wife in 1950s (in Soviet Union).jpg

Peng Shilu was born on 18 November 1925 in Haifeng County, Guangdong province, the son of Peng Pai, a top Chinese Communist revolutionary in the 1920s.{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=John Wilson|last2=Xue|first2=Litai|title=China's Strategic Seapower: The Politics of Force Modernization in the Nuclear Age|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GH5FgdqxTboC&pg=PA31|year=1996|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=978-0-8047-2804-1|page=31}} His parents were killed by the Kuomintang government when he was less than 4 years old, and he was jailed at the age of 8 for being the son of Peng Pai.{{cite web |last1=Li |first1=Shuya |title=Peng Shilu, the life propelled by nuclear propulsion (彭士禄："核动力"驱动的人生) |url=http://www.chinapictorial.com.cn/ch/se/txt/2013-07/03/content_553500.htm |website=www.chinapictorial.com.cn |publisher=China Pictorial |accessdate=1 January 2019 |location=Beijing. China |language=zh |date=7 March 2013}} He was later rescued by his grandmother and sent to Yan'an by Zhou Enlai.{{cite web |last1=Guo (郭) |first1=Xinying (新英) |title=The "father of China's nuclear submarines" Peng Shilu |url=http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/0521/c1011-21558687.html |work=People's Daily |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228190901/http://military.people.com.cn/n/2013/0521/c1011-21558687.html |archive-date=28 February 2014 |language=zh}} In the 1940s he received his early training in Yan'an Institute of Natural Sciences (now Beijing Institute of Technology).

After 1949, he went to the Soviet Union to complete advanced studies in nuclear science at Moscow Power Engineering Institute. When he returned to China, he was appointed to a senior post conducting research on the submarine nuclear reactor. In 1959, the Soviet Union refused to provide assistance for China's planned project of building nuclear-powered submarines, and Mao Zedong proclaimed that China would build its own nuclear submarines "even if it takes 10,000 years". Peng oversaw the entire nuclear submarine project and set about developing a workable nuclear power plant.

In 1968, Peng proposed and led the building of a land-based prototype nuclear power reactor in Sichuan province for China's first nuclear submarine. This reactor was completed in April 1970 and successfully passed a test in July after Peng reported to the Central Special Commission led by Premier Zhou Enlai.{{cite journal |author=Ningjun Fu |title=Peng Shilu and China's Nuclear Submarine |journal=Yanhuang Chunqiu |date=1998 |issue=1 |pages=23–26 |url=https://carnegietsinghua.org/2016/06/30/china-s-sea-based-nuclear-deterrent-pub-63909}} In 1973, Peng was appointed vice president of China Ship Research and Design Institute (Wuhan-based 719 Research Institute, the Nuclear Submarine Institute), and afterwards became deputy minister of the Ministry of Shipbuilding Industry.

China's first nuclear submarine (SSN, class 091) was launched for testing on December 26, 1970,{{Cite web |date=2020-12-26 |year=2020 |editor-last=徐蕾莹 |editor2-last=任泽兵 |title=50年前，他们造出中国的核潜艇！没用一个进口零件…… |url=https://m.news.cctv.com/2020/12/26/ARTImTzs9NqXrnU1NkVeyynk201226.shtml |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=m.news.cctv.com |publisher=中国中央电视台 (CCTV) |language=zh}} and was commissioned in 1974 with name Long March I,The Federation of American Scientists & The Natural Resources Defense Council Chinese Nuclear Forces and U.S. Nuclear War Planning p. 86 making China the fifth country to own a nuclear submarine after the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France.{{cite web |last1=Yu Xiaoquan and Huang Chao |title=The first submarine: 'Build our own nuclear submarines, even if it would take 10,000 years!' |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2017-07/22/c_1121362585.htm |website=www.xinhuanet.com |publisher=Xinhuanet |location=Beijing, China |language=zh |date=22 July 2017}} The first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) of class 092 was completed and commissioned in 1981.{{cite web |title=Type 092 Xia Class SSBN |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/china/type_92.htm |website=www.globalsecurity.org |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |location=Alexandria, VA 22314, US}} Both type 091 and 092 submarines were equipped with the nuclear reactors and propulsion systems created by Peng and his team. In 1979, Peng was appointed the first chief designer of China's nuclear submarine project, while Huang Weilu (黄纬禄), Zhao Renkai (赵仁恺), and Huang Xuhua were appointed deputies.{{cite web |title=The achievements of CNNC during the year 2017 |url=https://www.china5e.com/news/news-1020858-1.html |website=www.china5e.com |publisher=中国能源网 |language=zh}}

In 1983, Peng shifted from military to civilian application of nuclear power plants when he was appointed deputy minister for the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power, and was also appointed general engineer in the Ministry of Nuclear Industry. He led his team to build the Daya Bay and Qinshan Nuclear Power Plants.

In a talk in his later years, Peng Shilu said as a summary that he only did two things in his life: one was to have built China's nuclear submarines, and the other was to have built China's nuclear power plants.{{Cite web |last=邢哲 |last2=郑欣 |date=2021-04-23 |title="深潜"一生的他说一辈子只做了两件事：一是造核潜艇，二是建核电站 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2021-04/23/c_1127363642.htm |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.xinhuanet.com |publisher=Xinhuanet |language=zh}}{{Cite web |last=陈瑜 |date=2021-03-28 |title=我国核潜艇首任总设计师彭士禄：一生只做两件事 |url=http://stdaily.com/index/kejixinwen/2021-03/28/content_1097903.shtml |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=stdaily.com |publisher=中国科技网 |language=zh}}

He died on 22 March 2021, at the age of 95.[http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2021/03-22/9437925.shtml 中国核潜艇首任总设计师彭士禄院士逝世] {{in lang|zh}}

Peng received the National Science Conference Award in 1978, the top prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Awards in 1985, the Science and Technology Progress Award from Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation in 1996, and the Top Scientific Achievement Award from Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation in 2017. Once he received the prize money of the Top Scientific Achievement Award from Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation, he donated all of it as a fund to award young people making significant innovative achievements in the field of nuclear power.{{Cite news |last=Cheng |first=Yuezhu |date=2021-06-01 |title=Nuclear hero devoted life to helping country |publisher=China Daily |publication-date=2021-06-01 |url=http://epaper.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202106/01/WS60b564f5a31099a234356858.html |access-date=2021-06-01}}

In 1988 he received the honorary title of "Outstanding Contribution to National Defense Science and Technology" from the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

In 2020, he won the 13th Guanghua Engineering Scientific and Technological Achievement Award for "his outstanding contributions to China's nuclear submarine to achieve a historic breakthrough from nothing, and the determination of technical route of the first nuclear power plant." Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award is the highest award in China's engineering field, and initiated and managed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering.{{Cite web |title=第十三届光华工程科技奖揭晓 (The 13th Guanghua Engineering Technology Award announced) |url=http://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2020/11/448222.shtm |language=zh |accessdate=8 November 2020 |date=8 November 2020 |work=news.sciencenet.cn |publisher=科学网 |agency=中国科学报社}}{{Cite web |date=8 November 2020 |title=中国工程界最高奖获奖人员名单揭晓 (The list of winners of "The Highest Award in China's Engineering Field" announced) |url=https://finance.sina.com.cn/tech/2020-11-08/doc-iiznezxs0651040.shtml |access-date=16 November 2020 |website=finance.sina.com.cn |publisher=Sina Corporation}}

In March 2021, soon after his death, he was hailed as "the father of China's nuclear submarines" by media including the top China's official media.{{Cite web |date=23 March 2021 |title=中国核潜艇之父彭士禄：愿将此生长报国 |trans-title=Peng Shilu, the father of China's nuclear submarines: I hope my whole life will serve my motherland forever. |url=https://tv.cctv.com/2021/03/23/VIDE29V3oPTxxBGuoZAaUxns210323.shtml?spm=C52346.PKs1OTJ9sJ1H.S39569.29 |access-date=2021-04-06 |website=tv.cctv.com |language=zh}}{{Cite web |date=22 March 2021 |title=悲恸！"中国核潜艇之父"彭士禄逝世 |trans-title=Grief! "The father of Chinese nuclear submarines" Peng Shilu passed away. |url=https://finance.sina.com.cn/wm/2021-03-22/doc-ikknscsi9535432.shtml |access-date=2021-04-06 |website=finance.sina.com.cn |language=zh}}{{Cite web |date=2 April 2021|title=从他们的精神中汲取奋发力量 |trans-title=Draw strength from their spirit |url=http://www.stdaily.com/index/kejixinwen/2021-04/02/content_1103694.shtml |access-date=2021-04-06 |website=www.stdaily.com 中国科技网 |language=zh}}{{Cite web |last=多维新闻 |date=22 March 2021 |title=中国"核潜艇之父"彭士禄去世 终年96岁 |trans-title="The father of China's nuclear submarines" Peng Shilu died at the age of 96 |url=https://www.dwnews.com/中国/60233969/中国核潜艇之父彭士禄去世终年96岁图 |access-date=2021-04-06 |website=多维新闻 www.dwnews.com |language=zh-Hans}}{{Cite web |date=22 March 2021 |title=幼年时被追杀的中国"核潜艇之父"彭士禄离世 |trans-title=The "father of China's nuclear submarines" Peng Shilu, who was hunted down when as a child, passes away. |url=http://m.stnn.cc/pcarticle/841113 |access-date=2021-04-06 |website=m.stnn.cc |publisher=Sing Tao News Corporation |language=zh |format=Original from Beijing Youth Daily (北京青年报) |publication-date=22 March 2021}}

On May 26, 2021, he was posthumously honored the title "Role Model of the Era" by the top Publicity Department of China, for his contributions to the design of the country's first-generation nuclear submarine in the 1950s, his leading the charge in the establishment of two major nuclear power plants in China, and his great attributes of hard work, sacrifice, and the pursuit of innovation.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-26 |title=China honors deceased nuclear power expert |url=https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/269640620/china-honors-deceased-nuclear-power-expert |access-date=2021-05-27|publisher=Big News Network |website=Big News Network.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-05-26 |editor-last=Huaxia |title=China honors deceased nuclear power expert - Xinhua |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-05/26/c_139970604.htm |access-date=2021-05-30 |website=www.xinhuanet.com}}

On March 3, 2022, he was honored as a "Touching China's Figure of the Year 2021" and hailed as "the father of China's nuclear submarines" by the top China's official media China Central Television.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-09 |title=2021 a Chinese figure, the father of China's nuclear submarine, whose name was once the top secret of the state |url=https://inf.news/en/military/57b993e7adde1d0c5aee5c64c40e79ee.html |website=iNEWS}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-03 |title=感动中国2021年度人物—彭士禄 (Touching China's Figure of the Year 2021 - Peng Shilu) |url=https://news.cctv.com/2022/03/03/ARTI21rVl9H5IBEIzak3taVp220226.shtml |access-date=2022-03-08 |website=news.cctv.com |language=zh}}

Peng's wife, Ma Shuying ({{lang|zh-hans|马淑英}}), was his schoolmate in the Soviet Union, and they married in 1958 when they returned to China. They had a son and a daughter.{{cite web |last1=Yu (余) |first1=Xiaoie (晓洁) |title=Academcian Peng Shilu, The founding father of China's nuclear submarine and power plant |url=http://news.ifeng.com/gundong/detail_2011_08/31/8819416_2.shtml |work=Phoenix News |language=zh}}

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Category:1925 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Hokkien scientists

Category:People from Haifeng County

Category:Chinese nuclear engineers

Category:Engineers from Guangdong

Category:Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering

Category:Chinese naval architects

Category:Submarine designers