A Lost Link to China's Spacefaring Ambitions Liu Jiyuan's passing marks the end of an era in China's burgeoning space program.
His death at 93 underscores a peculiar aspect of its history: the lack of transparency and recognition afforded to its pioneers.
While China has made tremendous strides in recent years, its early days were marked by secrecy and isolation that have only begun to unravel with time.