Ouyang Ziyuan

Ouyang Ziyuan

Ouyang Ziyuan (Chinese: 欧阳自远; pinyin: Ōuyáng Zìyuǎn) (1935-) is a Chinese cosmochemist, geochemist and space advocate. He is a research professor at the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Contents

Geochemical career

Ziyuan was born in 1935 in the city of Ji'an in Jiangxi Province in the People's Republic of China. He obtained a degree in geology and a doctorate in mineral deposits and geochemistry, and spent many years conducting studies in deep mines. He later studied nuclear physics and worked in a particle accelerator laboratory. He later put forward a hypothesis of the formation of iron meteorites, an evolutionary model of the formation of the meteorites which fell at Jilin in 1976, and a theory of multi-stage cosmic ray radiation history. His works include Celestial Chemistry, and he published more than 160 treatises. He was elected a Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991.

Space advocacy

As an expert in geological research on underground nuclear tests and extraterrestrial materials, Ziyuan was among the first to advocate not only the exploitation of lunar reserves of metals such as iron, but also the mining of lunar helium-3, an ideal fuel for nuclear fusion power plants. Ziyuan is now the chief scientist of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), also known as the Chang'e program. He is the most prominent supporter of the Chinese manned lunar exploration program, and also lobbies for the Chinese Mars exploration program.[1]

On November 12, 2008, upon China's publication of a comprehensive lunar map, Ouyang Ziyuan encouraged all three Asian nations then involved in lunar exploration (China, India and Japan) to increase co-operation in furthering humanity's understanding of the Moon. [2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "火炬手欧阳自远:“研究月球和举办奥运目标相通”". 新华网. June 12, 2008. http://news.xinhuanet.com/sports/2008-06/12/content_8352549.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2008. 
  2. ^ Xinhua, November 12, 2008 "Chinese scientist calls for co-op between Asian space powers"

External links