On January 29, the International Conference Center of Nanjing University was filled to capacity, imbued with a vibrant sense of early spring. The MEAYIN Scientific Workshop and the First Meeting of the Academic Committee of the MEAYIN Science Center was solemnly convened.
Exploring the vast universe and advancing China’s ambition to become a leading spacefaring nation are shared aspirations of the scientific community. The search for and detailed characterization of habitable planets around nearby stars in the solar neighborhood has emerged as a frontier topic and a focal point of international competition in contemporary astronomy. The MEAYIN Project is a next-generation large space-based astronomical observatory mission jointly initiated in 2017 by Nanjing University, Xidian University, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the National Astronomical Observatories, and several other institutions. Its primary scientific objective is to discover dozens of Earth-like planets located in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars within 65 light-years of the solar system and to assess and verify their potential habitability.
In the welcoming address, Academician Zheng Hairong, Executive Vice-chancellor of Nanjing University, emphasized that the MEAYIN Project represents a forward-looking strategic layout for China’s next generation of large space astronomical observatories. He noted that the project is of great significance for advancing astronomy and space science in China, securing a leading position in global scientific competition, and supporting the nation’s broader goals of becoming a science and technology powerhouse and a aerospace powerhouse.
(Academicians Bao Weimin and Zheng Hairong jointly unveiled the plaque for the MEAYIN Science Center.)
To further advance the MEAYIN Project, Nanjing University and China Academy of Aerospace System and Innovation jointly established the MEAYIN Science Center. Academicians Bao Weimin and Zheng Hairong unveiled the plaque for the center and presented letters of appointment to the members of the Academic Committee.
(Group Photo of the Conference)
Following thematic presentations and open discussions, the participating experts agreed that the progress achieved by the MEAYIN Project in its early stages has been highly encouraging. They recommended that future efforts should fully leverage Nanjing University’s multidisciplinary strengths, strengthen openness, integration, and organized research through the MEAYIN Science Center, uphold a spirit of dedication and advancement, and strive to achieve a major scientific breakthrough in the discovery of habitable planets.
The meeting was attended by leaders and experts from the China Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics & Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Xidian University, as well as relevant departments and the School of Astronomy and Space Science of Nanjing University.