Wei Fengsi is included in the 'Perspective' section not because he is an academician or project leader, but because he twice chose the most difficult yet most far-sighted path at crossroads where no one else saw promise. In 1993, when the international mainstream favored 'satellites first, ground later,' he went against the grain, proposing to build ground monitoring networks first. In 2016, when his peers had long retired, he launched 'Digital Space' at age 75. This ability to judge the endgame rather than chase trends is exactly what the Perspective section aims to preserve. His archival value lies in demonstrating a 'contrarian' research strategy: turning a 'wild dream' into a national project over 19 years, then pushing it into the intelligent era with the rest of his life.

Wei Fengsi was born in 1941 by the Fujiang River in Mianyang, Sichuan. As a boy, he witnessed the hardship of trackers and resolved to use his knowledge to improve people's lives. ^[1] In 1958, he was admitted to the geophysics department of the University of Science and Technology of China. ^[1] Subsequently, he studied under Academician Zhao Jiuzhang, the 'Father of Chinese Satellites,' and turned to space physics under his guidance. ^[1] In 1993, he proposed the 'Meridian Chain' concept of building a ground-based monitoring network along the 120°E meridian, going against the grain by laying ground networks first rather than launching satellites. ^[2] In 1997, the Meridian Project was listed as a national major scientific project, but then experienced over a decade of dormancy. ^[2] Phase I started in 2008 and passed national acceptance in 2012, with 15 stations and 87 sets of equipment. ^[3] In March 2025, Phase II passed national acceptance, with a total of 282 sets of equipment, becoming an internationally extensive, comprehensive, and relatively capable ground-based space environment monitoring network. ^[3] In 2016, at age 75, he proposed the 'Digital Space' concept to advance intelligent space weather research. ^[4]

Wei Fengsi summarizes his decades of scientific research into four mottos: 'Simplicity is a kind of happiness, persistence is a kind of faith, service is a kind of spirit, and dreaming is a kind of responsibility.' ^[5] He advocates that research should be simple and pure, rejecting impetuousness and utilitarianism; that career requires long-term persistence and the willingness to endure; that scholars should bear the nation in mind, aligning personal directions with national strategic needs; and that researchers should dare to dream, breaking through conventional thinking. ^[5] In an academic environment that favors quick results, his mottos seem almost 'classical,' yet they represent a rare scientific character. ^[5] Facing doubts, he firmly stated, 'No need to persuade. The road is chosen by ourselves; we are here, and we will persist steadfastly.' ^[2] He often says, 'I do not advocate choosing topics that are short-term, fast, or imitative. If we choose, we should choose things that have long-term impact on the country and can serve the future.' ^[4]

The Meridian Project is known as the 'Space Great Wall' safeguarding China's aerospace security. Phase I built 15 stations with 87 sets of equipment, and Phase II brought the total to 282 sets, making it an internationally extensive, comprehensive, and relatively capable ground-based space environment monitoring network. ^[3] This project provides a space environment safety barrier for satellite launches, space station operations, and space missions. ^[3] Wei Fengsi has long been committed to science popularization, delivering 40-50 lectures annually, entering schools and reaching the public to sow the seeds of scientific research. ^[4] His 'Digital Space' concept, leveraging big data and AI, advances space weather research from monitoring to intelligent prediction. ^[4] In 2026, at age 85, he still walks to work daily, carrying an old canvas bag, remaining at the frontline of research. ^[1] His mottos 'Simplicity is a kind of happiness, persistence is a kind of faith, service is a kind of spirit, and dreaming is a kind of responsibility' ^[5] not only define him personally but also reflect a scientist's character that may be becoming rare.

The business proposition Wei Fengsi leaves behind is an extreme example of long-termism: in an era that favors quick results, he proved over 19 years that true national projects require patience and perseverance. His significance extends beyond the Meridian Project itself; he demonstrated a 'contrarian' research strategy—not following trends or imitating others, but choosing the hardest yet most correct path based on reasoning about the endgame. From a tracker's son to 'giving space a CT scan,' his life is embedded in the history of China's space physics from nothing to something. His mottos 'simplicity, persistence, service, and dreaming' are a charge to future generations: if scientists don't even dare to dream, how can they achieve great things?