New Delhi: In Chinas Zhejiang province, an 11-year-old boy has become center of attraction. Yan Hongsen, known as Rocket Boy, has become an internet sensation after teaching himself programming, physics, and chemistry, and building a rocket that involved over 600 lines of codeYan, a Primary Five student, first fell in love with rockets at the age of four. His fascination began when he witnessed the launch of the Long March-2 rocket, which sparked a lifelong passion for space exploration. Since then, Yan has been committed to self-directed learning, taking online programming courses and studying physics and chemistry through various resources like books, videos, and online forums.Homemade solid-fuel rocketTo support Yans growing interest, his parents transformed their living room into a makeshift rocket research lab. This support was crucial as Yan embarked on an ambitious project to build his first homemade solid-fuel rocket, named Sen Xing, which means moving forward. Despite challenges with the rockets performance, Yan approached the setback with calm determination and began working on improvements.The first launch of Sen Xing did not go as planned although the rocket initially ascended, the booster failed to deploy the parachute, causing a crash. Yan meticulously collected and analyzed the debris to identify issues and began modifying a second version of the rocket. His father, who works in tourism, has been a constant source of encouragement, even seeking expert advice to help Yan overcome technical obstacles.600 lines of code for rocketIn a recent video, Yan showcased his impressive coding skills by demonstrating over 600 lines of code for his rockets flight control system. His dedication and technical expertise have garnered widespread admiration on social media platforms like Weibo. Yan aspires to attend one of Chinas top civilian defense universities and dreams of building a real rocket for space exploration.
