Commercial Aerospace Forum spotlights innovation, space exploration programs

The 2025 Commercial Aerospace Forum opened in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on Wednesday.

The two-day event is jointly hosted by the Wuhan city government, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, China Electronics Technology Group Corp, China Space Foundation and Chinese Society of Astronautics, with participation from the space authority and local government officials, scientists, engineers, mission planners and enterprise representatives.

Chen Ximing, chairman of CASIC, said his company has been cooperating with Hubei province in a host of commercial space programs, including the construction and operation of a national commercial space industry base and the research and production of carrier rockets and satellites.

He said CASIC is determined to strengthen scientific and technological innovation in the commercial space sector, increase its investment in Hubei, deepen cooperation with local authorities and enterprises in commercial space, and continue to share its expertise and experience with relevant parties.

Chen's company is one of the first Chinese enterprises to launch commercial space programs and has established a solid presence in this regard.

A number of workshops are set to take place through Wednesday and Thursday, with topics ranging from rocket engines to data applications and business opportunities.

CASIC signed a memorandum with the Hubei provincial government on Wednesday to deepen their strategic cooperation. Several subsidiaries of the State-owned conglomerate also inked cooperation agreements with universities and commercial space companies in the province.