HIT Media (Liu Peixiang and Li Yinfeng/Text)
The kickoff meeting for a major national R&D project titled "Methods and Technologies for the Efficient Utilization of Lunar Soil Resources" was held on May 5. Led by Professor Shuai Yong from the School of Energy Science and Engineeringat Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), the project is listed as a key engineering science and interdisciplinary research project.
The project is led by HIT in collaboration with five partner institutions – Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Northeastern University, the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The project will support research related to China's lunar exploration program, deep-space exploration initiatives, and future lunar research station construction. The Chinese Academy of Engineering appointed Academician Wang Chi and Professor Zhou Cheng as project supervisors. The project team also formed an expert panel that includes Academicians Zhao Tianshou, Li Dong, Tong Xiaohua, and Chen Xiaoqian, as well as Professor Chen Yongping and Research Professor Chen Xiao. In addition, Academicians Ouyang Ziyuan, Wu Weiren, Ding Lieyun, Deng Zongquan, Cao Xibin, and Feng Xiating were invited to serve as advisors.
At the meeting, Professor Shuai introduced the project's background, major scientific challenges, research objectives, technical approaches, implementation timeline, organizational structure, and evaluation methods. The leaders of the project's four subprojects also reported on their respective research plans, management arrangements, funding oversight, current progress, and next steps.
The advisory panel, chaired by Academician Wang of the National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed support for the project's research goals, technical roadmap, and implementation plan. The experts noted that the project has clear objectives, well-defined scientific questions, and a strong research foundation, giving it strong potential. The implementation plan was approved unanimously, and the panel also offered recommendations for the project's future development.
Editors: Shang Yankai, Yang Wenyu
Reviewed by: Song Ling and Li Shoubin