Basic Background
Yao Zunhao is a 2022 undergraduate from the School of Future Technology and the class leader of the Small Satellite Class. He serves as the Project Leader of the 2025 China International University Innovation Competition Undergraduate Gold Award project. As one of the first recipients of the “Friend of the Future” title from the School of Future Technology, Yao has published three SCI/EI papers (one as the first author), applied for four invention patents/software copyrights (two as the first inventor), and received five national or higher-level scientific and innovation awards (four as project leader). His accolades include the National Scholarship, the “Chunhui Innovation Achievement First Prize,” the Harbin Institute of Technology’s highest award for student technological innovation, and the Excellence Scholarship. He has been recognized with seven honors, including Heilongjiang Province’s “Outstanding Student” and HIT’s “Excellent League Member Model.”
The Journey Begins
In August 2022, I entered the School of Future Technology full of dreams and joined the Small Satellite Class, thereby embarking on a four-year journey of growth. At the class orientation, the advice of Academician Duan Guangren remains etched in my heart. “Students in the Small Satellite Class must build a solid foundation in mathematics and physics to excel in research and tie their personal development to the destiny of the nation.” This advice has been my guiding light throughout my four years of study. Over the past four years, I have worked hard to uphold Academician Duan’s teachings and have achieved scores exceeding 90 in 41 of the 69 courses offered during my undergraduate studies.
To me, these grades are not mere cold numbers but my source of confidence—the assurance to trust my judgments in deriving formulas during scientific research and to maintain passion and momentum while chasing my dreams.
Walking Towards the Light
A pivotal moment in my undergraduate life came in March 2023, when my classmates and I visited the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Before this, Chinese aerospace existed to me only as the awe-inspiring moments reported in the news. But when I stood on the vast desert and the Gobi land that launched countless Chinese stars, I truly grasped the faith and perseverance behind the word “aerospace.” At Dongfeng Aerospace City, we delved deep into the “Two Bombs, One Satellite” spirit, uncovering the stories of generations of Chinese aerospace pioneers who devoted their lives quietly while accomplishing earth-shaking feats. When we emerged from the launch bunker to the surface, I suddenly felt how close and tangible that profound history truly was.
From that moment, a seed quietly took root in my heart. No longer satisfied with textbook knowledge, I began actively researching emerging aerospace domains. As a project leader, I spearheaded innovation projects and began my journey of exploring satellite architecture through a blend of learning and doing.
Striding Together Towards Greatness
"Over the past three years, the most valuable aspect has been meeting like-minded partners who have journeyed with me from being a novice in satellite research, through trial and error, and into a place of steady progress. Together, we started from scratch, slowly exploring and reaping results step by step.
During this time, we had frequent debates, especially when facing technical bottlenecks and dilemmas over which technical path to choose, a discussion that once lasted nearly two weeks. However, these experiences have become some of the most unforgettable and cherished memories on our path of growth."
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. During my undergraduate years, I received so much support from teachers and classmates that I feel obligated to pass on this “torch.” As one of the first “Friends of the Future” at the School of Future Technology, I have shared my experiences at freshman orientation sessions, the “Challenge Cup” seminars, and Small Satellite Class talks, striving to help younger students in any way I can. I also optimized course notes for challenging subjects and shared them with my classmates. Notably, my Linear Algebra Notes was honored as the “Most Beautiful Notes of HIT.”
Looking back on my undergraduate life, the word that comes to mind is gratitude. I feel deeply honored to have joined the Small Satellite Class and grown alongside like-minded companions. I am especially grateful to my teachers for their trust, which allowed me to confidently experiment and helped guide me toward discovering my path. I have been admitted to HIT’s National Key Laboratory of Rapid Design and Intelligent Clusters of Small Spacecraft for postgraduate study. In the future, I will continue to focus on research in new control theories and massive constellations, determined to contribute more in this new academic chapter.
