Qian Xuesen

New Capabilities

Deceased (1911-2009)

In 1957, Chinese aerospace pioneer Qian Xuesen proposed capturing wind energy by wrapping turbines in circular housings at high altitudes. Seven decades later, a Beijing startup realized the vision: on September 19-21, 2025, China flew the S1500, a helium-filled turbine the size of a basketball court, at 1,500 meters in Xinjiang's desert, generating one megawatt. No other country has come close.

Updated May 23