Regarded as the “Oscar of Space”, the World Space Award organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) is one of the highest honours in the field of international astronautics. This year, the prestigious award was presented to the China National Space Administration’s Chang’e-6 team, with PolyU playing a key role. The University also received the IAF Excellence in 3G+ Diversity Award, becoming the first higher education institution in China and East Asia to receive this distinction. This achievement highlights PolyU’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the aerospace sector.

Both awards were officially presented at the opening ceremony of the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney this October. For the Chang’e-6 mission – the world’s first lunar far side sampling mission – PolyU’s research team collaborated closely with the China Academy of Space Technology to develop the “Surface Sampling and Packing System”. The team contributed to the design and manufacturing of key instruments, enabling the System to successfully soft-land on the far side of the moon in 2024 and complete fully automated surface sampling and packaging tasks. This marked the historic feat of collecting samples from the lunar far side for the first time. The research team was led by Professor Yung Kai-leung, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations.

PolyU was the only university in Hong Kong to have its in-house critical payloads aboard Chang’e-6. Since 2010, PolyU has actively participated in the national space exploration programme, providing key technologies for the Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4, Chang’e-5, and Chang’e-6 lunar missions, as well as the Tianwen-1 Mars mission. The Chang’e-4 and Tianwen-1 teams received the World Space Award in 2020 and 2022, respectively, and this latest recognition for the Chang’e-6 team further signifies China’s leading position in space exploration.

The University was also honoured with the IAF Excellence in 3G+ Diversity Award, recognising PolyU’s dedication to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as its outstanding efforts to promote geography, generation, and gender diversity in the aerospace sector. For more details about PolyU receiving the 3G+ Diversity Award, click here.

PolyU is the first higher education institution in China and East Asia to receive the IAF Excellence in 3G+ Diversity Award. Prof. Christina Wong (right photo, centre), Director of Research and Innovation, accepted the award on behalf of PolyU, marking a significant milestone for the University.

Professor Christopher Chao, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation), remarked on the honour of supporting the national aerospace team and receiving the award for diversity. He said, “This not only affirms the University’s research capabilities but also recognises its commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. PolyU will continue to dedicate itself to innovative research and nurturing diverse talents, contributing to Hong Kong, the Nation and the global community.”

At the International Astronautical Congress this year, PolyU proudly presented nine cutting-edge space research projects, spanning low-Earth orbit navigation, planetary remote sensing, spacecraft fire suppression systems, advanced spacesuit design, and an AI-driven satellite imagery localisation startup founded by two international undergraduate students. PolyU remains committed to aerospace research and innovation, with the aim of contributing to national space exploration and development. The Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations was established in recent years to further advance space research.