• Study Reveals Overlooked Inequality in Urban Heat Risk
    Study Reveals Overlooked Inequality in Urban Heat Risk

    A study of 1,029 cities worldwide found that overlooking these differences in social vulnerability underestimates inequality in urban heat risk. The study was conducted by a team led by Prof. MENG Qingyan from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), together with collaborators. It was published in Communications Earth & Environment.

    06 Nov 2026
  • Seasonal Satellite Images Help Map Shrub Cover in Inner Mongolia
    Seasonal Satellite Images Help Map Shrub Cover in Inner Mongolia

    Researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) have used satellite images taken across the growing season to map shrub cover in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Tracking seasonal differences in growth helped them distinguish shrub patches from dense grass, which can look similar in a single image.

    03 Nov 2026
  • Study Finds Gaps Between AI Research and Infectious Disease Burden
    Study Finds Gaps Between AI Research and Infectious Disease Burden

    Artificial intelligence is becoming an important tool in infectious disease research, but research attention does not always match the needs of the regions hardest hit. A study by researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), in collaboration with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, has found a persistent mismatch between the geographic distribution of the research attention and the burden of infectious diseases. Published in npj Digital Medicine​, the study traces how the field has evolved over three decades.

    16 Oct 2026
  • New Dataset Maps Maize Yields Across Northeast China at 10-Meter Resolution
    New Dataset Maps Maize Yields Across Northeast China at 10-Meter Resolution

    A 10 m resolution maize yield dataset covering Northeast China from 2019 to 2024 has recently been released, providing detailed information on maize yield at the field scale. The dataset was developed by a research team led by Prof. LI Qiangzi and associate researcher DU Xin from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) and is described in a recent study published in Earth System Science Data and the dataset is openly available through Zenodo.

    12 Oct 2026
  • Tethered Balloon Takes Closer Look at Clouds over Qinghai-Xizang Plateau
    Tethered Balloon Takes Closer Look at Clouds over Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

    Scientists have used a tethered balloon to measure cloud droplets, aerosols, and electric fields over the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, revealing links between aerosol abundance and droplet properties and documenting weak electrical activity in clouds without lightning. The study was published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences​ .

    30 Sep 2026
  • Heavy-Lift Tethered Balloon Carries Power Tower Materials to High-Altitude Ridge in Xizang
    Heavy-Lift Tethered Balloon Carries Power Tower Materials to High-Altitude Ridge in Xizang

    A tethered balloon capable of lifting two tonnes successfully completed a trial in Xizang on September 21, carrying two tonnes of transmission tower materials to a steep ridge at an altitude of 4,000 meters. The trial demonstrated a new way to transport heavy construction materials to remote mountain sites while reducing the need for access roads.

    03 Oct 2026