Abstract: The Zhongshan Station in Antarctica is situated in the cusp region, and the rich ionospheric signatures and auroral phenomena that can be observed there mean it is well suited for undertaking polar space environment observations. The Zhongshan Polar Space Environment observation system has been developed and the observational instrumentation has been enhanced since its construction in 1989. Currently, multiple instruments are employed in the system for research on aurora, the ionosphere and geomagnetism. The system operates continuously in observing the polar space environment, and the status of the system’s instrumentation can be monitored remotely. The geomagnetism and cosmic noise absorption data are transferred to China in near real-time and the databases are available to the public. The prospects for China’s Polar Space Environment observation system are outlined.

Key words: polar region, space environment, Antarctica, ionosphere, aurora