China has begun construction of the world's largest manned radio telescope

China has begun construction of the world's largest fully controlled radio telescope with a diameter of 120 meters in Jilin Province. The installation is intended for the study of planets and asteroids, and its commissioning is planned for 2028. According to the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), the construction of the pile foundation has already been completed.

A feature of the new radio telescope will be the ability to transmit electromagnetic waves to celestial bodies and receive signals reflected from them. This will make it possible to more accurately determine the distances between various planets, stars and their distance from the Earth. Construction began in May 2024.

Thanks to the rotating design, the telescope will be able to monitor space objects around the clock at any point in the sky above the horizon. The importance of the project increased after the collapse of the 300-meter Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which served as a planetary radar.

Currently, the world's largest continuous antenna is the Chinese FAST radio telescope with a diameter of 500 meters. However, its construction in the form of an earthen bowl, located in a natural recess, limits the possibilities of observation. The new telescope, although it will have a smaller antenna, will be free of this drawback thanks to the fully rotating mechanism.