陕西省航天育种工程技术研究中心是陕西省科技厅批准设立的省级科研机构，主要工作任务是通过太空诱变，结合分子和传统技术选育优质、抗逆、高产植物新种质，航天诱变种质资源高效鉴评、新品种配套工程化技术。建成细胞工程、基因工程、微生物工程等多个实验室，在西安市长安区、杨凌示范区、安康市汉滨区建成三个航天育种地面选育基地。
以陕西为中心，面向全国，开展 “一带一路” 国家和地区航天育种技术交流。长期致力于航天农业、航天育种的教学、科研、示范、推广工作。与陕西（榆阳区、定边县、靖边县、米脂县、留坝县、洋县、镇巴县等）、西藏错那市、新疆新源县、青海省（湟中区、都兰县）、甘肃省山丹县、内蒙五原县、吉林九台区、贵州省（贵定县、黔南州）、山西省静乐县、河南漯河市郾城区、湖北广水市、湖南省通道县、四川省温江区、海南省琼海市、广东省东莞市等地县建立合作关系，2024年在西藏错那海拔4680米高原建设我国首个高寒地区牧草选育示范基地。致力于国际合作，用航天农业技术，航天育种品种为一带一路沿线国家提供服务，与印度尼西亚、马来西亚、埃及、哈萨克斯坦、巴基斯坦、伊朗、埃及、蒙古等一代一路国家开展交流合作；参与主持多届“一带一路”生物健康农业国际研讨会。
工程中心重点关注西部地区重要的生物多样性资源和地方种质的选育，承担着国家三北地区防护林树种、草品种的优化和改良，先后搭载了澄城县大红袍花椒、米脂小米、兴平秦椒、国家一级保护植物华山新麦草、西北防风固沙植物沙棘、枸杞、文冠果、仓颉手植柏、以及秦岭矿区筛选的生态修复菌等一大批特色选育材料进入太空。出版专著《航天育种简史》《中国雄心—航天科技·绿色中国》《种业中国》和《种子的奇幻之旅》等4部著作，获得了“中国好书”“全国优秀科普作品”等荣誉称号。2019年起持续开展“航天农业乡村振兴百县千村计划”和“太空农业·未来田园”为主题活动；组织参与制定《航天生态农产品（生态食材）通用技术要求》等国家团体标准；2024年应邀参加中央电视台央视频《航天之夜》专场活动；2025年获《新华社》新质生产力专题报道；围绕航天育种工程中心建成航天农业科普教育基地，获得省、市、区县三级科普教育基地授牌。
The Shaanxi Space Breeding Engineering Technology Research Center is a provincial-level scientific research institution approved by the Department of Science and Technology of Shaanxi Province. Its primary mission is to develop novel plant germplasm with superior quality, stress tolerance, and high yield through space-induced mutagenesis, integrating molecular and conventional breeding techniques. The Center also focuses on the efficient evaluation and identification of space-mutagenized germplasm resources and the engineering application of new variety development. Multiple specialized laboratories have been established, including those for cell engineering, genetic engineering, and microbial engineering. In addition, three ground-based space breeding selection and demonstration bases have been constructed in Chang'an District of Xi'an, Yangling Demonstration Zone, and Hanbin District of Ankang City.
Centered in Shaanxi and oriented toward the whole country, the Center actively promotes international exchanges in space breeding technology with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. It maintains a longstanding commitment to education, scientific research, demonstration, and extension in the fields of space agriculture and space breeding. Cooperative partnerships have been forged with numerous localities, including Yuyang District, Dingbian County, Jingbian County, Mizhi County, Liuba County, Yang County, and Zhenba County in Shaanxi Province; Cuona City in the Tibet Autonomous Region; Xinyuan County in Xinjiang; Huangzhong District and Dulan County in Qinghai Province; Shandan County in Gansu Province; Wuyuan County in Inner Mongolia; Jiutai District in Jilin Province; Guiding County and Qiannan Prefecture in Guizhou Province; Jingle County in Shanxi Province; Yancheng District of Luohe City in Henan Province; Guangshui City in Hubei Province; Tongdao County in Hunan Province; Wenjiang District in Sichuan Province; Qionghai City in Hainan Province; and Dongguan City in Guangdong Province, among others. In 2024, China's first high-altitude cold-region forage grass breeding and demonstration base was established in Cuona, Tibet, at an elevation of 4,680 meters. Committed to international collaboration, the Center employs space agriculture technologies and space-bred cultivars to serve countries along the Belt and Road, and has engaged in exchanges and cooperation with Belt and Road partners including Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, and Mongolia. It has also participated in and co-organized multiple sessions of the Belt and Road International Symposium on Biologically Healthy Agriculture.
The Center places particular emphasis on the selection and breeding of critical biodiversity resources and local germplasm in western China and undertakes tasks related to the optimization and improvement of tree and grass species for the Three-North Shelterbelt Program. A wide array of distinctive breeding materials have been carried into space, including Dahongpao pepper from Chengcheng County, Mizhi millet, Xingping Qin pepper, Psathyrostachys huashanica (a national first-class protected plant), windbreak and sand-fixing species native to Northwest China such as sea buckthorn, wolfberry, and yellowhorn, the Cangjie hand-planted cypress, and microbial strains for ecological restoration screened from the Qinling mining area. The Center has published four monographs—A Brief History of Space Breeding, China's Ambition: Space Technology for a Green China, China's Seed Industry, and The Fantastic Journey of Seeds—which have received national accolades including "China's Good Book" and "National Excellent Popular Science Work." Since 2019, it has continuously implemented the "Space Agriculture for Rural Revitalization in One Hundred Counties and One Thousand Villages" initiative and themed activities under "Space Agriculture: Future Countryside." It has organized and contributed to the formulation of national group standards such as General Technical Requirements for Space Ecological Agricultural Products (Ecological Ingredients). In 2024, the Center was invited to participate in the special event Night of Space TV show on CCTV. In 2025, it was featured in a special report on new quality productive forces by Xinhua News Agency. A space agriculture science popularization and education base has been established around the Engineering Research Center, which has been officially designated as a science education base at the provincial, municipal, and district/county levels.