Seven Mega-Science Projects Under Construction at CAS

With the support of Chinese government, CAS has been undertaking national mega-science projects in line with both the requirements of the national socio-economic development and cutting-edge development of science and technology in the world.

At present, a total of seven such projects are under construction at CAS:

1. The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). Under the charge of the National Astronomical Observatories at CAS, the construction of the 235-millions-yuan project kicked off in 2000.
2. The upgraded Beijing Electron-Positron Collider (BEPCII). Under the charge of the CAS Institute of High Energy Physics, the construction of 640-million-yuan project was started in 2004.
3. The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Under the charge of CAS Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, the construction of the 1.2-billion-yuan project was started in December 2004.
4. The Germplasm Bank for Wildlife in Southwest China Coordinated by the CAS Kunming Institute of Botany, the construction of the 148-million-yuan project was initiated in December 2004.
5. The National Bio-safety Laboratory in Wuhan (a P4 lab). Its construction was started in May 2005 by the CAS Institute of Virology.
6. The Meridian Chain of Comprehensive Ground-based Space Environment Monitors in the Eastern Hemisphere (dubbed as the Meridian Project). Under the charge of the CAS Center for Space Science and Applied Research, the construction of the 168-million-yuan network was started in January 2008.
7. The Hefei High Magnetic Field Center. Coordinated by the CAS Hefei Institutes for Physical Sciences, the construction of the 390 million yuan project was started in May 2008.

Five projects are to be started by CAS researchers in the near future:

1. An airborne remote sensing system. It is to be built under the charge of the CAS Institute of Electronics.
2. A five hundred meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST). It is to be constructed by the National Astronomical Observatories at CAS.
3. A maritime investigation vessel. It is to be built under the charge of the CAS Institute of Oceanology.
4. A research facility for protein research. It is to be launched under the charge of the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences
5. The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The facility is to be built under the charge of the CAS Institute of High Energy Physics.