Hefei hub advances deep-space exploration push

Research capabilities of Hefei, Anhui province, are propelling China's deep-space endeavors, with the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) spearheading the integration of science, technology, engineering and industries to unlock new potential.

An increasing number of countries and commercial space entities are entering the dynamic arena of deep-space exploration, which includes the Moon — 380,000 kilometers from Earth — and beyond. The United States, through its Artemis program, aims to seize advantages in lunar resource development, while the European Union and others are advancing their own plans.

China's deep-space exploration efforts are about securing the nation's right to peacefully develop and utilize space, while stimulating emerging sectors.

Its deep-space exploration has evolved significantly, starting with Chang'e-1's lunar orbit and progressing through a series of soft landings, roving missions and the world's first sample return from the Moon's far side. This advancement has extended to interplanetary exploration with the successful Tianwen-1 mission to Mars.

Cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an in Shaanxi province, and Hefei, are making significant strides in the space sector, each leveraging its unique strengths to achieve advancements.

As a latecomer, Hefei has rapidly emerged as a significant new force in the deep-space industry, leveraging the DSEL, established in 2022, and a strategy of differentiation by focusing on applications.

Jointly founded by the China National Space Administration, the local government, and the University of Science and Technology of China, the DSEL unites eight academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, along with over a dozen chief engineers and scientists, to conduct strategic, forward-looking and foundational research.

"International competition in deep-space exploration now necessitates enhancing fundamental scientific understanding of celestial bodies, achieving technological breakthroughs, utilizing resources and establishing international governance," said Li Hang, director of DSEL's development planning department.

Wei Guangfei from DSEL's planetary science research center also noted that competitiveness in deep space depends on continuous innovation and independent iterative advancement.

In this regard, Hefei's strength is rooted in its sustained investment and accomplishments in basic research. A 2025 city innovation capability report by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China ranked Hefei the 10th in the country. Since 2021, its research and development expenditure intensity has reached 4.11 percent, third among all provincial capital cities.

Despite its youth, the DSEL has supported significant missions. It now faces new expectations. On Aug 5, the DSEL sources indicated plans to build a planetary protection lab for the Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission. This facility will ensure contamination control and prevent biological cross-contamination between Earth and Mars.

The DSEL is also tracking nearly 50 corporate projects, with high-tech enterprises comprising over 70 percent. Sustaining R&D through practical applications and fostering manufacturing via market demand, Hefei's "application-driven and market-nurtured manufacturing" approach effectively advances the deep-space economy, an emerging sector as humanity ventures into deep space.

Deep-space exploration is a key direction for cultivating new quality productive forces and is set to spur industries such as intelligent equipment, said Pang Shunxiang, a researcher at the laboratory's center for extraterrestrial resource development.

Pang said he is confident about the future of the deep-space industry in Anhui. The province, by capitalizing on its strengths in technological innovation and industrial transformation, is positioning itself as a hub for deep-space science and technology and a center for future industries, he said.

Wei stated that looking ahead, the DSEL will align with the national plan for space science and the 15th Five-Year (2026-30) plan, and build an integrated innovation system combining science, technology and engineering. The focus will be on research areas such as the search for extraterrestrial life and the development of extraterrestrial resources.

lihuixian@chinadaily.com.cn