Increased funding expected for space research

Scientists estimate that the government will invest no less than 5.9 billion yuan ($910 million) on space science research during the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), according to a research report published on Thursday.

The report was composed by a group of scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who surveyed the research interests of hundreds of scientists in China since 2012 and sorted them into 23 major space science programs with the brightest scientific prospects.

"Decision-making on the country's major space science projects should not be based only on the individual opinions of government officials, or the proposal of a few prestigious scientists. We should carry out comprehensive research on our own space science capacity and on topics at the frontier of international science, so that the decision-makers can avoid spending State funding blindly," said Wu Ji, director of the National Space Science Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and chief editor of the research report.