A ceremony on the establishment of School of Space Exploration was held at The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing on January 27, 2025. Photo: People's Daily

The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) in Beijing established a School of Space Exploration on Tuesday, People's Daily reported.

The next 10 to 20 years will be a critical window for China's planned leap-frog development in space exploration, during which original basic research and technological breakthroughs will reshape the landscape of deep space exploration which is to profoundly improve national competitiveness, according to the report.

The establishment of the school is a crucial measure for UCAS to fulfill its key task of seizing the commanding heights of science and technology and nurturing talent in the space exploration field. It will also provide talent support for national strategic priorities such as deep space exploration and space science research, the report said.

In November 2025, UCAS decided to establish the School of Space Exploration. The school will construct a curriculum system covering 14 first-level disciplines and professional categories, including Aeronautics and Astronautics Science and Technology, and Planetary Science. Building on 97 existing courses, it will add 22 new core courses, covering frontier areas so as to achieve the deep integration of science, technology and application.

In terms of tutoring, the school will rely on three existing platforms focused on frontier science, key technologies, and strategic applications in Beijing's Huairou Science City, while also establishing six specialized platforms, including an unmanned aerial vehicle intelligent patrol simulation platform, a full-process teaching practice platform for space science satellites, and a space-ground collaborative experimental teaching and innovation platform, so as to provide students with an immersive training environment, according to the report.