The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems ( CCSDS ) today announced that the China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) has been accepted as the eleventh full member agency of the organisation. China's admission to the organisation marks the first addition to the membership since 1997. As the leading international organisation for space communication standardization, CCSDS relies on its agency members to provide technical engineering support to its working groups. The addition of CNSA to the membership of CCSDS indicates the continued, broad international support for space communication standardisation necessary to promote greater cooperation and interoperability among the space and ground assets of the major space exploration agencies around the world.