The Institute, under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, was founded on February 20, 1968. After 40 years’ development, it has become China's main space technology and product development base, and the most powerful backbone force in China's space industry. It is mainly engaged in space technology development, spacecraft development, foreign technology exchanges and cooperation in the space field, and space technology applications. It also involves participating in the formulation of the national space technology development plan, doing researches on the exploration and utilization of outer space technology approaches, undertaking the development of various spacecraft and ground application equipment required by users and providing corresponding services.