China has taken a significant leap in deep space exploration with the recent deployment of two state-of-the-art radio telescopes. Each boasting a 40-meter-diameter antenna, these telescopes are strategically located in the northeast and southwest regions of the country, specifically in the Changbai Mountain area of Jilin Province and Shigatse in the Xizang Autonomous Region.
Constructed by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), these new additions expand China's Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) network to six stations, all coordinated from a control center in Shanghai. VLBI technology enables the creation of highly detailed radio images and precise positioning of cosmic objects by combining signals from multiple telescopes, effectively forming a virtual telescope with a significant baseline.
With the integration of the two new telescopes, the longest baseline of China's VLBI network has extended from approximately 3,200 kilometers to about 3,800 kilometers. This expansion enhances the observable sky area by 25 percent and improves the angular resolution in the X-band by 18 percent, according to Shen Zhiqiang, head of SHAO.
China's advanced VLBI network has been instrumental in supporting major space missions, including the Chang'e lunar missions and the Tianwen-1 Mars mission. The enhanced network capabilities will allow for simultaneous measurements and flexible tracking of multiple celestial targets, providing robust support for future lunar and deep-space exploration endeavors.
At the launch ceremony, Ding Chibiao, vice president of CAS, highlighted the importance of major scientific and technological infrastructure in driving innovation and advocated for the openness and shared use of scientific facilities. Ye Shuhua, a CAS academician, emphasized that the new telescopes will play a crucial role in upcoming missions to explore asteroids, Mars, Jupiter, and other celestial bodies.
The construction of these telescopes, which began in September 2023, faced significant challenges, including building one at an altitude of 4,100 meters and the other in a region where winter temperatures can plummet below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Despite these obstacles, the new telescopes enhance China's capabilities in radio astronomy, paving the way for cutting-edge research on supermassive black holes, gravitational waves, and galactic dynamics.
Reference(s):
China's new radio telescopes put into use for deep space exploration
cgtn.com
