The State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science (SKLPlanets) at the Macau University of Science and Technology was officially established in 2018 with the approval of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. Currently, it represents the only national key laboratory in the field of astronomy and planetary sciences in China. 

The establishment of the SKLPlanets is part of the country’s growing drive towards the development of deep space exploration, the promotion of technological innovation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the promotion of the science and technology sectors in Macau. The SKLPlanets currently employs more than forty academics. This diverse group includes distinguished professors, professors, special-appointed professors, special-appointed consultants, associate professors, special-appointed associate professors, and assistant professors, among others. Together, they form a strong team of one hundred people including experts and scholars from prestigious research institutions, both national and international. Professor Zong Qiugang serves as the director of the SKLPlanets.