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Leading Chinese hypersonic aviation scientist Yan Hong dies at 56

Yan Hong, one of China’s leading researchers in hypersonic and high-speed propulsion technologies, has died at the age of 56, according to Northwestern Polytechnical University.
Yan,…

By Samantha Johnson / March 27, 2026
Yan Hong, one of China’s leading researchers in hypersonic and high-speed propulsion technologies, has died at the age of 56, according to Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Yan, a professor and doctoral supervisor at NPU’s school of power and energy, died on Tuesday at Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital in Nanjing following an illness.

The university in the northwestern city of Xian has been placed on US sanctions lists for its alleged ties to military-related research.

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Her research focused on supersonic and hypersonic flow control, plasma-based flow control and computational fluid dynamics – fields considered critical to the development of next-generation aerospace propulsion systems.

Yan led several major national research initiatives, including projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Numerical Wind Tunnel project and the National Key Research and Development Programme.

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“Yan Hong made outstanding contributions to technological breakthroughs and the development of disciplines in China’s aero engine sector,” the university said in a statement announcing her death on Thursday.

“Her life was devoted to education and scientific research, and she dedicated herself wholeheartedly to China’s aerospace endeavours.”

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