On the morning of January 27, the inauguration ceremony for the School of Space Exploration was held at the “Two Bombs, One Satellite” Memorial Hall of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), officially marking the establishment of the school. CAS MEMBER ZHU Junqiang, Director-General of the Bureau of Strategic High-tech Development, CAS, has been appointed as Dean of the School of Space Exploration.

The next 10 to 20 years represents a critical window for leapfrog development in China’s space exploration domain. Basic research based on original innovation and technological breakthroughs will reshape the landscape of deep space exploration and profoundly impact national competitiveness. The establishment of the School of Space Exploration serves as a pivotal initiative for the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) to seize technological high ground and strategically cultivate talent in the field of space exploration, providing essential human resources to meet national strategic needs in deep space exploration and space science research.

In November 2025, UCAS approved the establishment of the School of Space Exploration. The school will develop a comprehensive curriculum encompassing 14 first-level disciplines and professional categories, including aeronautical and astronautical science and technology, and planetary science. Building upon 97 existing courses, the school will introduce 22 new core courses covering cutting-edge fields such as interstellar propulsion and dynamics, interstellar navigation environment perception and utilization, planetary dynamics and habitability, and interstellar sociology and governance—achieving deep integration of science, technology, and application.

Regarding teaching and practical training, the school will leverage three existing platforms in Huairou Science City dedicated to frontier science, key technologies, and strategic applications, while constructing six specialized new platforms, including an intelligent UAV patrol simulation platform, a full-process space science satellite teaching and practice platform, and a space-ground collaborative experimental teaching and innovation platform for space exploration—providing students with an immersive training environment.

On the same day, the Space Exploration Talent Cultivation Program Teaching and Training Steering Committee held its first plenary meeting. The Steering Committee is co-chaired by CAS Member and Director of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences WANG Chi, CAS Member ZHU Junqiang, and CAS Member and Director of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of CAS DI Qingyun.