The IDSEA, co-founded by the Hefei-based Deep Space Exploration Laboratory and four other institutions, will promote scientific research in areas such as lunar exploration, planetary science, and asteroid studies. Officials describe it as an inclusive platform aiming to broaden participation in space exploration.
"Our goal is to involve as many developing countries as possible," said Wang Zhongmin, director of the international cooperation center at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. "By launching small yet meaningful initiatives - like CubeSat projects and scientific training programs - we aim to help these nations acquire sophisticated technologies that were once beyond their reach."
Deep-space efforts have historically been the domain of a few technologically advanced countries, primarily due to the high financial and technical barriers. "Many nations face a monopoly on deep space capabilities," Wang noted. "We must ensure these technologies serve all of humanity."
China's rapid rise in space science has been matched by its willingness to collaborate internationally. In April, seven institutions from six countries - including the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Pakistan - received authorization to study lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e 5 mission.
Additionally, China has extended invitations for international involvement in its upcoming Mars initiatives. The Tianwen-3 mission, scheduled for around 2028, aims to retrieve Martian samples and search for signs of life. If successful, it would mark the first Mars sample return and one of the most ambitious undertakings in space exploration since the Apollo era.
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