1. Double Star Program
Geospace Double Star Exploration Program (DSP) is the first space science satellite program in China and the first grand international cooperative space science project of China. It is a space program with two satellites orbiting in equatorial orbit and polar orbit respectively. It investigates the triggering mechanism of the magnetospheric storms and physical processes of the disastrous geospace weather during solar activities and interplanetary disturbance, and then establishes the models to describe and predict the spatial and temporal variations of the near-earth space environment.
DSP, an important contribution to the international geospace exploration programs, coordinates with ESA’s Cluster program to first realize the six-point space exploration of Geospace in human history.
DSP together with Cluster achieved a great number of scientific discoveries and research results. It was granted the first prize of the 2010 National Science and Technology Progress Award. DSP and Cluster team was awarded the Laurels for Team Achievement Award by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) in 2010, which is the first time that China received grand scientific award in space field.
2.International Space Weather Meridian Circle Program (ISWMCP)
NSSC promoted the International Space Weather Meridian Circle Program (ISWMCP), designated to connect 120ºE and 60ºW meridian chains of ground based observatories and enhance the ability of monitoring space environment worldwide which involved Russia, Australia, Canada and Brazil.
ISWMCP is based on the Meridian Project which is a ground based space environment monitoring instrument network along 120 degree east meridian line, 30 degree latitude, and the station in Antarctic. The observation instruments include active and passive optical instruments, MST radars, Ionosphere digital sounders DSP-4, VHF Coherent Ionosphere Radar, Incoherent ionosphere radar, magnetometers, GPS receivers, and sounding rockets. The instrument network is now being extended to the north in Russian, to the south in Australia, and to the other side of the global along 60 degree west. The new instrument chain is called the International Space Weather Meridian Circle Program (ISWMCP). NSSC is the leading institute of the program and having agreements already with many countries along this circle.
3.YH-1
YH-1, Martian Space Environmental Exploration Orbiter, is a micro-satellite mission focused on investigating the Martian space environment and the solar wind-planet interaction. YH-1 is a grand cooperation program between China and Russia in the field of deep space exploration piggy-back launched on the Russian Phobos-Grunt sample return spacecraft, which was intended to visit Mars' moon Phobos. NSSC initiated the program and is the leading institute in scientific application system and payloads development in the satellite system.
On November 8, 2011, it was launched together with Phobos-Grunt but did not enter the interplanetary orbit. It was a great loss for the both Russian and China and delayed a better understanding of Martin space environment of us in a considerably time.
