The Glory and the Dream, a 43-episode TV series starring actor Yang Shuo and actress Su Qing, is loosely based on the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project, China's nuclear and space program.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A TV series loosely based on the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project, China's nuclear and space program, recently began airing on Beijing Satellite TV and the video streaming site Tencent Video.

The 43-episode series, The Glory and the Dream, directed by Han Xiaojun, is about a group of friends, who go from fresh college graduates to established engineers at a rocket research center in Southwest China.

The story, spanning three decades, starts with China's successful detonation of its first atomic bomb in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Oct 16, 1964, goes on to depict the turbulence of the 1970s and the huge changes brought about by the reform and opening-up policies.

Tie Fo, the producer, who has been in the television industry for more than 30 years, says he first read the script in 2007.

"It was penned by Huang Jian, who previously worked in a Guizhou rocket research center," he recalls in a telephone interview with China Daily.

Tie had once worked in Sichuan province's Mianyang Science and Technology City, a national defense facility, and he identified with the story.

Recalling his days there, Tie says he sometimes met with Deng Jiaxian, who was often hailed as the "Father of China's Nuclear Program".

"But Deng's identity was top secret then, so I didn't know how important he was. He was very low-profile and easy-going," recalls Tie.