Daming LI

IAF Bureau • VP: Societies and Museums
China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) • President

Mr. LI Daming is the President of China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), member of executive board of Chinese Society of Astronautics. He has made outstanding technological and academic accomplishments in the fields of international cooperation and exchanges, space engineering management and academic research. He has undertaken and led the implementation of multiple China’s major national space programs, such as series of Chang’E lunar exploration, Tianwen-1 Mars exploration, Beidou Global Navigation Satellite System, China’s Space Station Program and so on.

Achievements of international exchange and cooperation

As the President of China Academy of Space Technology, Mr. LI Daming makes big push towards international cooperation and exchanges.

1. Promoting International Cooperation Actively

Mr. LI Daming is the Chinese Chairman of China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) Joint Program Committee. This cooperation program started in 1988 and developed 6 satellites jointly named CBERS 01/02/02B/03/04/04A. The constellation distributes free worldwide data services, serving for international organizations like UN-SPIDER and CHARTER. It makes remarkable contribution to global resources survey and environmental protection and has become a model for South-South cooperation in high technology. Under his leadership and promotion of program team, joint development of CBERS 06 is about to start. With his guidance, the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite ZHANG Heng-1 has completed successfully its five-year in-orbit lifetime, enhancing the Earth electromagnetic monitoring level by space technology. It plays great importance to earthquake early warning, disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as economic and social development to both countries.

As the leader in charge, Mr. LI actively promote cooperation with European countries. He led CAST team to join in the Planetary Protection of Outer Solar System Bodies (PPOSS) project within “Horizon 2020” framework of European Union and carries out deep cooperation with European entities like TAS-I in the field of planetary protection. International cooperation in Moon and deep space industry has been vigorously promoted. To illustrate, Chang’e 4 mission has not only realized world’s first soft landing on the far side of the Moon, but also carried out payload piggybag cooperation with Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and other countries, promoting scientific cooperation and exchanges between China and Europe; Chang’e 5 mission carries out long-lasting and far-reaching international cooperation with space agencies and scientific communities around the world in sample research; Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission conducted in-orbit relay communication experiment between “Zhurong” rover and “Mars Express” orbiter of ESA, achieving complete success.

In order to further fulfill practical results in technical cooperation, Mr. Li supported the establishment of multiple international joint laboratories, such as China-Italy joint laboratory, China-France microwave integrated circuit joint laboratory and three-dimensional packaged space microsystem electronic product joint laboratory, to realize complementary advantages of disciplines, share experimental resources and deepen technical cooperation.

2. Helping developing countries improve their capacity

Mr. LI Daming actively advocated the policy of peaceful utilization of outer space for the benefit of mankind, and vigorously promotes CAST to carry out cooperation with developing countries. CAST has carried out joint design and development with Pakistan, Egypt, Botswana, Uruguay, Namibia and other countries in the field of spacecraft R&D, infrastructure and ground application systems, making significant contributions to promote the level of space technology and its application, talents cultivation and sustainable development of economy and society for developing countries

3. Fostering Talents for World Space Industry

Mr. LI is enthusiastic with fostering the talents for the world space industry. He encourages leading space talents to apply IAA academicians and lead or participate in international research projects. He also sends cadres to attend trainings in International Space University and international conferences like IAC, promoting technical exchanges with space counterparts in other countries. Under his leadership, CAST has overcome the impact of the epidemic, provided telecommunication satellite online trainings for Bolivia and Indonesia and three online trainings on satellite application technology for climate change, with nearly 1000 participants from more than 30 countries.

4. Promoting Exchanges with International Organizations

He also actively recommended Chinese experts to participate in and play a role in international organizations. During his tenure, he has recommended 18 experts to serve in IAF, IAA, COSPAR, CCSDS, etc.

He strongly supported project teams in their campaigns for international awards. Chang’e 4 team won the 2019 Royal Aeronautical Society Team Gold Medal and 2020 IAF World Space Award; Tianwen-1 team won the 2022 IAF World Space Award; Chang’e 5 team won the 2023 IAA LAURELS For Team Achievements Award. The winning teams conducted extensive exchanges with counterparts all over the world through highlight lectures and other forms, calling for further strengthening international cooperation for the common interests of mankind and the sustainability of the next generation.

Under his leadership, CAST will, as always, send a high-level delegation to attend IAC 2023 and its exhibition, hold activities such as GNF, where achievements in the fields of telecommunication, remote sensing and deep space exploration will be displayed, and continue to vigorously promote international cooperation and exchanges.

Achievements of Space Engineering Management

Mr. LI Daming has devoted himself into space industry for 21 years, and has held leading positions in Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering (ISSE) and CAST. He has rich experience in space engineering management and has made great contributions to the rapid development of China’s space industry.

When serving as the leader of Space Robot Arm Program of Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering (CAST), he initiated the field of space robot and innovated the model of product development. He presided over the establishment of Institute of space robot arm system and Beijing key laboratory of “Space Intelligent Robot System Technology and Application”, formulated the plan of “Two arms, Two vehicles, Three people” for space robots, organized the research and development of complex projects such as large-scale robot arm for space station and robot arm for lunar sample collection, as well as other major projects such as robot astronauts. In view of the characteristics of large-scale robot arm for space station such as difficulties in the management of complex new design and large technology span, he organized the establishment of multi-specialty integrated product development mode and completed the pioneering work of technology application demonstration, ground verification and semi-physical simulation, which has broken through 16 key technologies and implemented 158 ground verification projects. The robot arm of Chinese space station is China’s first indigenous large-scale space robot system applied in space engineering. It is also the space intelligent equipment with the highest degree of intelligence, the most complex system and the largest scale and hardest technology in China. Its performance indicators such as 25t large load, big range of movement and fine operation capability have reaching leading level in the world. Now the robot arms for space station are operating well in orbit, which have completed extravehicular crawling and inspection missions, transposing and docking with cargo spaceship, supporting extravehicular activities of astronauts and installing payloads.

When serving as the leader of China Academy of Space Technollogy (CAST), he presides to make the space development strategy and plan, and let teams to provide “turnkey” solutions of spacecraft research&development, satellite applications, technical transfer and ground infrastructure construction to users. Meanwhile, as one of the academic space expert and leader in China, he systematically summarizes and develops the systematic engineering methodologies of China space industry, formed a scientific and efficient pattern of organization and management, which has strongly guaranteed the successful completion of space research and development missions reprented by national key programs. Over 260 spacecraft are operating well in orbit, making significant contribution to the national economic construction and technology developement.

Under his leadership, CAST has accomplished multiple of remarkable space achievements. The communication field created a historical record of launching. Beidou global navigation satellite system has officially provided services. Chang’e 5 successfully completed China’s first sample return mission from extraterrestrial objects. The landing of Tianwen-1 mission and its first Chinese mark on Mars were successfully achieved. China has completed the construction of Chinese space station, providing advanced space science and technology research and experiment platforms for Chinese and global scientists. It has obtained research and application achievements of great scientific value in the scientific fields of physics, astronomy, materials and biology, as well as technical fields of information and space.

Academic Achievements and Honors

Mr. LI Daming has a deep understanding in the academic research. He has published the following six books:

  • Overview of the Chinese Space Station Manipulator
  • Semantic and Neighborhood Preserving Dictionary Learning for Symmetric Positive-Definite Matrices
  • Adapt to the task needs and development situation of the organization and management innovation
  • Research on key technology of robot arm on space station
  • optimization design and application of space manipulator based on multi-science simulation model
  • Research and practice on improving the core capability of aerospace project development in new situation

Mr. LI Daming has made outstanding contributions to the development of China space industry and has received the following awards and honors:

  • National Enterprise Management Innovative Achievement Award, First Prize once and Second Prize three times, with regard to the construction and practice of spacecraft big date application system
  • National Enterprise Management Modernization and Innovative Achievement Award, Second Prize twice, with regard to the construction of quality confirmation system
  • Outstanding Contributor of Chang’e 4 Mission, Ministry Level

Education Background

  • 1998.9--2002.8 Beihang University, Bachelor Degree, Mechanical Engineering and Automation
  • 2009.9--2012.3 Harbin Institute of Technology, Mater Degree, Aircraft Design of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
  • 2013.9--2018.6 Xi’an Jiaotong University, Doctor Degree, Electronics and Information

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