The Chinese Academy of Sciences South America Center for Astronomy (CASSACA, also known as the China-Chile Joint Center for Astronomy, CCJCA) is one of the overseas projects initiated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop cooperation in science and technology with other countries. The Center serves as a platform for collaboration in astronomical research and related technology development with South American countries as well as other international observatories in Chile. In October 2013, CASSACA was inaugurated at the Universidad de Chile.

CASSACA helps to establish international teams and supports joint research programs engaging in the forefront of scientific research. It also manages the China-Chile Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship program that provides young scientists with opportunities to engage in studies that draw upon the research strengths of both countries. One of the Center’s recent programs was the China-Chile Astronomical Data Center jointly operated with the Technical University of Federico Santa Maria (UTFSM) and the high-tech company Huawei (Chile) S.A.

CASSACA is headquartered in Santiago, Chile, and its Beijing office is located in the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC).