On September 15, 2017 (July 25, 2017 in the lunar calendar), Nan Rendong, chief engineer and chief scientist of "China Sky Eye", passed away. At noon on September 16, the official Weibo of "China National Astronomy" magazine released a message saying that Nan Rendong, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatory and chief scientist and chief engineer of FAST (500-meter Spherical Radio Telescope), failed to rescue him due to illness. He died at 23:23 on September 15, 2017, Beijing time. He was 72 years old. Photo: Nan Rendong led most of the early work of the FAST Radio Telescope and was the project's chief scientist and chief engineer. Nan Rendong, Researcher of National Astronomical Observatory of China Academy of Sciences, Chief Engineer and Chief Scientist of FAST Project. Since 1994, he has presided over the completion of the site selection, project establishment, feasibility study and preliminary design of the 500-meter spherical radio telescope FAST, a major national scientific and technological infrastructure construction project, editor-in-chief scientific goals, and guided the research of various key technologies and model tests. On September 25, 2016, the world-renowned "Big Radio" was completed. The 500-meter Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) uses pits in Guizhou's karst areas as telescope sites to build the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope. Using FAST, humans can observe pulsars, neutral hydrogen, black holes and other information about the formation of the universe, as well as signals used to capture extraterrestrial life. Nan Rendong participated in the early site selection of Dawotang. FAST, a 500-meter spherical radio telescope completed on September 25, 2016. For people who want to find extraterrestrial life, FAST can go one step further than current equipment in that once information is received from alien organisms, FAST can accurately point out which direction they came from. Extended reading: "China's Sky Eye" is like being born for him-Nan Rendong's 24-year "Sky Eye" dream Extended reading: "China's Sky Eye" is like being born for him-Nan Rendong's 24-year "Sky Eye" dream The names of Xinhua Agency reporters Dong Ruifeng and Yan Rui Nan Rendong are inseparable from FAST. His loud voice has now become hoarse, and his legs that once ran across the mountains are no longer strong. Nan Rendong, 72, left his seemingly endless energy to "China's Sky Eye"-FAST, the world's largest radio telescope. To a certain extent, he achieved FAST, and FAST also achieved him. "I have only done this thing for more than 20 years.""Teacher Nan has only done this thing for more than 20 years." Nan Rendong's colleagues and students commented. The story starts 24 years ago. 1993, Tokyo, Japan, International Radio Science Union Conference. Scientists have proposed building a new generation of radio telescopes to receive more information from outer space before the global radio environment continues to deteriorate. Nan Rendong said to his colleagues: "Let's build one too." Not many people are optimistic about this idea. Can you find a suitable place? Can the construction difficulty be overcome? Nan Rendong trudged through the mountains of southwest China with more than 300 satellite remote sensing maps. He was looking for the local Wodang-a valley hundreds of meters long was surrounded by mountains on all sides, just blocking the electromagnetic waves outside. "In order to select the site, Teacher Nan visited almost all the depressions there." Gan Hengqian, a student in Nanrendong, recalled that some barren mountains and wild ridges did not have even a path, and local farmers had difficulty walking. After returning from his visit to the mountains, Nan Rendong had a clear idea and formally proposed the idea of using karst depressions to build radio telescopes. But Nan Rendong was not sure whether he could raise enough funds. "A unique project in the world" for a few years, Nan Rendong became a "salesman". He promoted his large telescope project at small meetings and foreign countries in China. "I started to kiss up to the world and get the world to support us." He once laughed at himself. Every step is related to the success or failure of the project, and his efforts sometimes make students feel "too hard." To catch up with project materials overnight, several people from the research team crowded into Nan Rendong's office, deliberating word by word, often working until early morning. Reporting projects are topics faced by the chief scientist on each topic, and Nan Rendong arrives at the venue at least one hour earlier each time. Carrying the FAST project on his shoulders, Nan Rendong also has a special way to deal with pressure. "If something is particularly difficult, Teacher Nan will remain silent and smoke a lot. At that time, you had to wear a gas mask to go to his office." Gan Hengqian said. Li Di, deputy chief engineer of the FAST project, said: "I admire Teacher Nan's persistence and directness most. Taking on various responsibilities as chief scientist and chief engineer, he promoted projects unique in the world." After the first 10 years of difficulty, the FAST project gradually became famous, and the technology for cooperation with major universities also made breakthroughs. In 2006, the project proposal was finally submitted. When passing the final international review, the chairman of the expert committee rushed forward and held Nan Rendong's hand tightly: "Youdidit (you did it)!" "The FAST project is like it was born for him." At the FAST site, you can sincerely feel the meaning of the word "grand". More than 10 years ago, such a picture had already taken shape in Nan Rendong's mind. What he needs to do is to turn the picture formed in his mind into reality. "Teacher Nan knows where the key point lies. His student Yue Youling said that during the project construction process, the locking network must be deformed, which requires both force and deformation. There is no ready-made technology in the industry to rely on. "The national standard is 100,000 times, and we need 2 million times of expansion and contraction. Teacher Nan himself proposed a special process, which later supported the appearance of FAST." People who don't know him think Nan Rendong looks like a farmer when they first meet him. He has a vicissitudes of life and dark skin. He wears a T-shirt and big pants and rides a bicycle in summer. He himself told his students: "Just like a farmer." Only those who are familiar with him know that he has a lot of research on painting, poetry, books, and costume aesthetics. When he was studying in Tsinghua University in his early years, he won the first place in the mechanical drawing competition. In the 1990s, he even gave lectures on the aesthetics of fashion trends. Yue Youling had seen Nan Rendong painting 50 × 60 cm,"can see that it is professional level." "Teacher Nan has a deep understanding of aesthetics. Our FAST logo was designed by Teacher Nan herself. Teacher Nan's PowerPoint color scheme was also created by herself." Yue Youling said. In his assistant Jiang Peng's opinion, there are specialties in the field. In FAST project, some people don't understand astronomy, some don't understand mechanics, some don't understand metal technology, some don't know drawing, and some don't understand radio. "It's not bad that you can understand one or two of these things, but Teacher Nan understands almost all of them." "This huge and huge radio telescope project seems like it was born for him." Jiang Peng said.