Abstract: Space environment detection technology is essential for the sustainable, secure and valuable exploration of space and its applications. As a cutting-edge technology, it allows us to delve into the mysteries of the cosmos, discover fundamental natural laws, and continually push the boundaries of scientific knowledge. Beyond its scientific significance, it also provides the technical assurance necessary for long-duration missions, complex operational scenarios, and the long-term development of space infrastructure. This article provides a detailed overview of China’s current space environment detection capabilities and frontier advances. In response to the strategic need to accurately characterize highly dynamic, multi-scale space environments, it provides a systematic review of recent breakthroughs and innovations in the detection of physical space fields, natural environmental processes, artificial disturbances, and the effects of the environment on spacecraft systems. The discussion focuses on initiatives of national importance, including human spaceflight, lunar research stations, planetary missions, deep space exploration, and the sustainable utilization of space resources. This paper outlines a series of key technological solutions to ensure the safe and reliable operation of China’s major space programmes. These solutions address the significant challenges and core bottlenecks currently faced by technologies used to sense the space environment. These include system-level integration, coordinating multi-source data and ensuring operational resilience in extremely complex and harsh conditions. The solutions proposed include the fusion of high-precision electromagnetic and particle sensing; lightweight, intelligent on-board processing terminals; and the deep joint inversion of heterogeneous, multi-source datasets. When combined with on-orbit validation using dedicated space environment satellites, these approaches will facilitate the development of an integrated, real-time, space-to-ground monitoring and early warning architecture. Ultimately, this architecture will support precise environmental cognition and the development of effective protection strategies, facilitating the sustainable utilization and development of the space environment.