China formally launches project to build aircraft carrier-sized ‘science island’

China has officially begun the engineering construction phase of a colossal maritime science project involving an aircraft carrier-sized floating artificial island. The Shanghai Jiao Tong University-led facility, expected to be completed by June 2030, will be the world's first mobile, self-sustaining artificial island. This revolutionary platform, named the Deep-Sea All-Weather Resident Floating Research Facility, fills a unique need by combining mobility and permanence.

Unlike fixed research stations or conventional vessels, the floating island can cruise at 11 knots while supporting over 200 researchers. Officially designated as a major national scientific infrastructure project in China's 14th five-year plan, the structure measures 138 meters long and 85 meters wide, with its main deck 45 meters above water.

Despite its massive displacement of around 74,000 tonnes, surpassing most conventional destroyers and research vessels, the platform remains stable even in extreme sea conditions. The facility will house six laboratories for research in heavy marine equipment, systems technology, meteorological observation, and long-term marine ecosystem monitoring.

While officially a civilian research platform, the project's chief scientist has proposed a nuclear-blast-proof design. The ultra-large floating research platform will also be open to and shared with global research institutions and enterprises.