Main reflector installed for 40-meter radio telescope in Shigatse
This telescope is a collaborative project between the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the 39th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. It aims to provide essential technical support for China's future lunar and deep-space exploration missions.
The installation of the main reflector signifies the primary completion of the antenna system, enabling further testing and adjustment of the telescope.
Designed to operate in high-altitude conditions, the telescope is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, allowing for full mobility, high precision, and multi-purpose use.
Construction of the telescope is expected to finish by the end of 2024, with very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) capabilities set to begin in early 2025. VLBI is a method used to measure the time delay of signals arriving at different Earth-based antennas, effectively simulating a massive virtual telescope based on the maximum distance between these stations. Currently, China's VLBI network includes four observatories in Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi, and Kunming, with data processing handled by SHAO.
The Shigatse telescope will also be joined by another 40-meter radio telescope installed in Changbai Mountain, Jilin province, in August. Together, they will form a flexible six-station, one-center network, capable of tracking lunar and deep-space probes in two separate areas of the sky simultaneously.