China launches international association to boost global access to deep space research

Written by Copernical Team Monday, 07 July 2025 11:57

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Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 02, 2025

China will inaugurate the International Deep Space Exploration Association (IDSEA) next Monday, marking its first international academic body dedicated to aerospace. Based in Hefei, Anhui province, the association is designed to foster global collaboration, with an emphasis on empowering developing countries to access and advance deep-space technologies. The IDSEA, co-founded by the Hefei-

China launches international association to boost global access to deep space research
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 02, 2025

China will inaugurate the International Deep Space Exploration Association (IDSEA) next Monday, marking its first international academic body dedicated to aerospace. Based in Hefei, Anhui province, the association is designed to foster global collaboration, with an emphasis on empowering developing countries to access and advance deep-space technologies.

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.