CHENGDU, June 29, 2025 — The International Meridian Circle Program (IMCP), a major global scientific initiative aimed at establishing a comprehensive space weather monitoring network, was officially launched at the second Belt and Road Conference on Scientific Exchange held recently in Chengdu. Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (HITSZ) is playing a key role in this effort.

Led by the National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the IMCP has so far signed collaboration agreements with 36 international organizations and research institutions. These partnerships were formalized during the Conference’s Forum on International Big Science Programs.

The program builds upon a vision first proposed in 1996 by Prof. Wei Fengsi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dean of the School of Aerospace Science and Technology at HITSZ. The IMCP will establish a ground-based monitoring chain along the 120°E–60°W meridian, enabling full-latitude, all-weather observation of the Sun-Earth space environment.

HITSZ’s School of Aerospace Science and Technology is actively engaged in the co-development of the national key laboratory for solar activity and space weather. The school will continue to leverage its research strengths to support the development of intelligent and digital aerospace technologies, contribute to space disaster prevention, and enhance Shenzhen’s role as a comprehensive national science center.

The IMCP seeks to advance understanding of space weather mechanisms and promote global cooperation in space environment monitoring and forecasting.