Local residents of Xiaoying Alley lay the white chrisanthemum to mourn for the just passed-away China's keystone space scientist Qian Xuesen, in front of his portrait on a stone tablet in his hometown of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, October 31, 2009. Qian Xuesen, widely acclaimed as the country's "father of space technology" and "king of rocketry", died of illness in Beijing Saturday morning at the age of 98. Under the guidance of Qian, also known as Tsien Hsue-shen, China finished the blueprint on developing jet and rocket technology. He also played a significant role in developing the country's first artificial earth satellite. [Xinhua]

Local residents of Xiaoying Alley holding the white chrisanthemum mourn in grief for the just passed-away China's keystone space scientist Qian Xuesen in front of his portrait on a stone tablet in his hometown of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, October 31, 2009.  [Xinhua]

File photo of Qian Xuesen, widely acclaimed as the country's "father of space technology" and "king of rocketry". Qian died of illness Saturday morning at the age of 98. [Xinhua]

Local residents of Xiaoying Alley holding the white chrisanthemum mourn for the just passed-away China's keystone space scientist Qian Xuesen, in front of the former residence of Qian's hometown in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, October 31, 2009.  [Xinhua]