2026 China Space Conference (CSC2026) to Open in Chengdu on April 23

The 2026 China Space Conference (CSC2026) will be held from April 23-26 at the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center in Sichuan Province. Themed "70 Years of Space Exploration, Together for the Stars" (七秩问天路 携手探九霄), the conference celebrates the 70th anniversary of China's space program.

Conference Scale and Content

Co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Astronautics and the China Space Foundation, the conference will feature over 30 activities including:

• Academic Forums: Main forum and 20+ academic sessions
• Industry Exchange: Commercial space policy and market outlook
• Science Outreach: Space science exhibition series
• Cultural Events: Space art and culture forum

Leaders, academicians, and experts from government agencies, CAS, CAE, universities, and aerospace enterprises will attend, along with foreign guests from 26 countries, regions, and international organizations.

Major Announcements Expected

During the conference, major announcements on deep-space exploration planning and commercial space support policies are expected. According to Liu Yunfeng, Deputy Director General of the Systems Engineering Department of CNSA, key 2026 space missions include:

• Tianwen-2: Close-range asteroid exploration
• Crewed Spaceflight: Shenzhou-23 and other crewed spacecraft missions
• Reusable Rockets: Multiple reusable rocket types to conduct flight verification
• International Cooperation: China-ESA joint SMILE satellite to launch

Commercial Space Launch Surge

China's commercial space sector enters an intensive reusable rocket verification window from late April:

Additionally, Qianfan Constellation (GW AO) and Guowang Constellation LEO internet satellite construction is entering large-scale deployment phase.

Sources: CNSA press conference, Securities Times, comprehensive reports April 17-22, 2026