In June 1953, Yao earned a Diploma in Metallurgy from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London.

After returning to China in September 1957, Yao served in the Fifth Academy of the Ministry of National Defense, headed by Qian Xuesen.

He helped found the Institute of Materials and Technology (later affiliated to the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building) and became the director.

After the eruption of the Cultural Revolution, the young engineer Ye Zhengguang overthrew the Seventh Ministry leadership and removed Minister Wang Bingzhang and Vice Minister Qian Xuesen.

[2] After this loss of one of China's foremost missile engineers, Zhou Enlai ordered special protection [zh] for key technical experts.