This photo taken on July 7, 2025 shows an exterior view of the International Deep Space Exploration Association in Hefei, east China'a Anhui province. [Xinhua/Zhou Mu]

The International Deep Space Exploration Association (IDSEA), an international academic organization dedicated to deep space exploration, was officially launched on July 7 in Hefei, Anhui province.

Known as China's first international institute in this sector, the inauguration marks a significant milestone in China's international space exchange and cooperation, and represents joint efforts of innovation in the global space community.

This association was jointly initiated by the Hefei-based Deep Space Exploration Lab, the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Chinese Society of Astronautics, the Chinese Society of Space Research, and the French initiative "Planetary Exploration, Horizon 2061." The founding of the IDSEA was also co-sponsored by 20 Chinese academicians and 31 foreign scientists.

As one of the initiators, the Deep Space Exploration Lab located in the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone was co-established by the CNSA, the Anhui provincial government, and the University of Science and Technology of China in February 2022.

Since its establishment, the laboratory has conducted science and technology research focusing on major national projects in deep space exploration. The laboratory aims to promote the long-term development of deep space exploration regarding the moon, planets, asteroids, and the edge of the solar system.

In recent years, the Hefei high-tech zone has been a prominent player in the aerospace information industry, providing strong support for the deep space exploration sector. 

At present, more than 140 enterprises of the aerospace information industrial chain have settled in the zone, including industry bigwigs such as Geovis Technology Co. Ltd. and AIRSAT Technology Group.