Rocket / Space Launch Technical Data to China

On April 7, 2009, Shu Quan-Sheng, a native of China, naturalized U.S. citizen and PhD physicist, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for illegally exporting space launch technical data and defense services to the People’s Republic of 93 China (PRC) and offering bribes to Chinese government officials. Shu pleaded guilty on November 17, 2008, in the Eastern District of Virginia to a three-count criminal information. He was arrested on September 24, 2008. He was the President, Secretary and Treasurer of AMAC International, a high-tech company located in Newport News, Va., and with an office in Beijing, China. Shu provided the PRC with assistance in the design and development of a cryogenic fueling system for space launch vehicles to be used at the heavy payload launch facility located in the southern island province of Hainan, PRC. The Hainan facility will house launch vehicles designed to send space stations and satellites into orbit, as well as provide support for manned space flight and future lunar missions. Shu also illegally exported to the PRC technical data related to the design and manufacture of a “Standard 100 M3 Liquid Hydrogen (LH) 2 Tank. In addition, Shu offered approximately $189,300 in bribes to government officials with the PRC’s 101 Institute to induce the award of a hydrogen liquefier project to a French company he represented. In January 2007, the $4 million hydrogen liquefier project was awarded to the French company that Shu represented. This investigation was conducted by the FBI, ICE, BIS and DCIS.