Introduction

The National Space Science Center (NSSC) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) serves as China’s primary space science hub, responsible for the planning, development, management, and operation of China’s space science satellite missions, and a key contributor to China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Program. With a staff of 810 members, NSSC conducts research in various fields such as space physics, space environment, microwave remote sensing, and space engineering technology.

Established in 1958 under CAS, NSSC played a key role in the development of China’s first artificial satellite, Dongfanghong-1 (DFH-1). In 1997, NSSC introduced the Geo-space Double Star Exploration Program (DSP), a collaboration with the European Space Agency’s(ESA) Cluster Program. Under this initiative, two satellites conducted research on magnetic storms from 2004 to 2007, marking China's entry into space science satellite missions.

In 2011, the Strategic Priority Program on Space Science was launched, with the first phase featuring four scientific missions: Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), Quantum Experiment at Space Scale (QUESS), ShiJian-10 (SJ-10), and Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT). The second phase, initiated in May 2018, includes five scientific missions: Tai-ji-1, Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM), Advanced space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), Einstein Probe (EP), and Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE).

NSSC also oversees the Chinese Meridian Project (CMP), a ground-based monitoring system for the space environment. This project monitors the atmosphere from 20/30 kilometers to several hundred kilometers, studying plasma and physical fields in the solar atmosphere and interplanetary space. In collaboration with over 15 institutions in China, NSSC leads the CMP as China’s first large-scale scientific facility in the field of space physics.

As a key contributor to China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Program, NSSC hosts the General Office of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration of CAS. The center takes on responsibilities such as mission study, overall design and development of payload sub-systems, individual payload development, space weather prediction, and science applications. NSSC has played a significant role in the successful execution of missions like Chang'e-1, Chang'e-2, Chang'e-3, Chang'e-4, Chang'e-5, and Tianwen-1.

NSSC actively engages in international cooperation through initiatives such as itsleading or participating severaljoint/collaborated space science missions,involvement with the International Space Science Institute (ISSI-BJ) for collaborative space science research, acting as the secretariat ofChinese Committee of COSPAR, and partnering with Brazil on the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory on Space Weather to enhance understanding of space weather dynamics and prediction capabilities. These international efforts showcase NSSC's commitment to fostering global partnerships in space science and exploration.