Photo: Screenshot from CCTV

A comprehensive center integrating astronaut health management, space technology research and aerospace science education is set to be established in China's Hainan Free Trade Port in 2026, China Central Television (CCTV) reported Wednesday, citing the 2025 International Symposium on the Peaceful Use of Space Technology-Health (IPSPACE 2025). 

The planned Astronaut International Center will adopt a "one headquarters, multiple centers" layout, with Sanya serving as both the headquarters and space education base, and additional health management centers to be located in Sanya, Qionghai, Danzhou and other cities, CCTV said. 

The headquarters will include an international astronaut exchange center and an astronaut archive. The education base will feature space simulation laboratories and other teaching facilities, while the rehabilitation centers will offer wellness facilities for astronauts worldwide.

According to Wang Tianyi, executive chairman of the International Peace Alliance (Space), Hainan was selected as the location for the center because Hainan represents China’s openness to the world. It can serve as a bridge connecting China’s technology and economy with the international community, while helping promote the region globally through the astronaut program. 

In the future, the center will launch an "astronaut holiday program," inviting astronauts from around the world to Hainan each year to carry out science-education livestreams, technical consultations, and expand international collaboration in space tourism and commercial spaceflight. The center is scheduled to begin operations in 2026, CCTV reported. 

Global Times