The World Data Center for Space Science(Beijing), attached to the Center for Space Science and Applied Research of Chinese Academy of Sciences, was founded in 1988 with it's main task to represent the nation to collect and organize, to record and manage, to exchange and publicize, and to offer consultation on and make use of the data of space science.

Through more than forty years endeavours, the outer-space scientific explorations both inland and overseas have developed to a considerable scale. A large quantity of observational data have been accumulated, and a number of world-class data centers which provide space science data service to the whole world have been set up. China has persistently attached great importance to the development of space science. Since 1970, a lot of artificial satellites, manufactured by ourselves, have been successfully launched and modern earth stations have been set up for space exploration purpose. As a result, numerous space observation data have been acquired to form a space science data system of considerably large volume.

Since its founding, the World Data Center for Space Science(Beijing), has been devoted in data collecting and organizing and servicing. In the end of 1980s', due to management system change and fund shortage, the Center was incapable of providing abundant and systematic data. Being in such a case, the Center took full advantage of the comprehensiveness of its database to satisfy the requirements of departments concerned. Much work was exerted on the collection of deep-processed data, such as space parameter modes, in order to serve personnel at different levels. As the only space science data service provider in China, the Center, by keeping close ties with the main battle fields and hi-tech projects of space exploration, has made its valuable contributions in quite a number of applied research projects. Such as "Studies of the Integrated behavior of Solar-Terrestrial system about the 22nd peak year of the solar activity" (the momentous item of CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) in the seventh five-years plan of the country), "Atmosphere 1 satellite" - an air balloon satellite plan in "863" high tech space flight domain, "Practice" series space exploration satellite plan, and the manned space flight project. The monitored data of neutron from cosmic rays station in Beijing have been the exclusive cosmic rays data in our nation, which have been published at SGD (Solar-Geophysical Data) of NGDC (National Geophysical Data Center) periodically.

During the tenth five-years plan, the World Data Center for Space Science(Beijing), having gained the advocacy of the Innovation Program of CAS and the special fund for basic research from the Science and Technology Ministry of China, is establishing a data management system and a service sharing platform, and its service level is advancing day by day. The Center has founded a mirror station of SPIDR (Space Physics Interactive Data Resources) in 2003, which belongs to STP (Solar-Terrestrial Physics) of NGDC (National Geophysical Data Center, USA) and affiliates with the national sharing service web of SPIDR. Therefore, our basic data obtaining channels are more broadened, the data resources are much more abundant, and the sharing and exchanging of basic data can be done to an even larger extent than ever before.

In the next few years, the World Data Center for Space Science(Beijing) will further strengthen the work of data collection and consummate the data management systems and the sharing service platform. Abiding by the tenet of unswervingly serving the national space science and space flight activities, the Center pays great attention to actual efficiency, not only serves the basic theory research, but also makes great efforts to link itself with the applied research. Meanwhile, the Center also takes an active part in international data intercommunion and cooperation for the sake of promoting the progress of itself.