China leads international drive to build global space weather monitoring network

China leads international drive to build global space weather monitoring network
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jun 16, 2025

Chinese researchers, in partnership with global scientific bodies, have launched an international initiative to construct the most extensive ground-based monitoring system yet aimed at decoding the physics and dynamics of space weather.

At the Second Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange in Chengdu, Sichuan province, five institutions formalized new collaborations with the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These agreements officially initiated the International Meridian Circle Program (IMCP), a Big Science Program designed to advance global space weather research.

Altogether, 36 cooperative arrangements have now been established with international partners under the IMCP framework, uniting global research efforts across disciplines and borders.

"The IMCP builds upon the Chinese Meridian Project, with the vision of creating the most comprehensive ground-based monitoring chain along the 120 E to 60 W meridian," explained Wang Chi, the program's general commander. "This network will enable globally integrated, multiparameter observations essential for decoding geospace phenomena."

Geospace, considered the fourth domain of human activity, is central to technologies such as spaceflight, communications, and navigation. However, Wang emphasized that disturbances driven by solar activity can generate severe and unpredictable disruptions, underlining the urgency of improved forecasting capabilities.

The IMCP is planned to span more than 11 years to encompass an entire solar cycle, facilitating in-depth observation of geospace and long-term study of space weather dynamics.

Wang said the initiative would evolve into a global research community, uniting diverse observation techniques and a distributed monitoring infrastructure. This integrated approach is expected to yield major advances in theory and technology, supporting global efforts to mitigate the risks posed by space weather events.

By connecting solar and atmospheric observations in a seamless system, the IMCP also aims to further understanding of planetary habitability and encourage the peaceful use of space resources.

"We are transitioning from a regional space weather alert system to a truly global early warning framework," Wang added. "The IMCP embodies our commitment to building a shared future for humanity in the realm of space science."