Desert Fire: Anecdotes About the Development of Rocket Coatings

In the 1950s, due to the risk of turbulence in the international situation, Longguo established a project to develop and launch new rockets. At a research institute in the northwest, young researcher Li Mingzheng is responsible for studying the coating of the rocket engine nozzle, which is used to protect the graphite throat lining inside the nozzle and provide anti-oxidation and ablation resistance at high temperatures. However, several months of failure were difficult for both Li Ming and his superiors to accept. After being complained casually by his superiors, desperate Li Ming went to the village market and spent two yuan to buy a clay pot. However, when he actually used a gas welding gun to do the ablation test, he shocked everyone! The ablation resistance of the pottery pieces is actually better than the coating I worked so hard to develop! The maker of the clay pot is Wang Mei, the logistics eldest sister in the base. With step-by-step understanding and exploration, the secret of the pot's ablation resistance was gradually revealed, and the development of the coating was inspired. Finally, with the help of Wang Mei and others, Li Ming successfully developed a coating with up to standard performance and used it on the rocket. Wang Mei also turned from a rural eldest sister to an honorary expert.