Unlike traditional fixed telescopes, this state-of-the-art instrument will transmit electromagnetic waves to planets and asteroids, receiving their return signals to measure distances between celestial bodies and Earth with remarkable precision.

Luo Xuejiu, head of the project office for the radio telescope, shared details on its progress: "The site selection was finalized in May this year, and preliminary work has been ongoing since then." Luo added that the pile foundation has been completed, and installation, along with adjustment and testing, is projected for completion by 2028.

China's commitment to exploring the cosmos is underscored by its investment in radio telescope infrastructure. This new project complements the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou Province, the world's largest and most sensitive single-dish radio telescope.

Additionally, China is constructing smaller fully steerable radio telescopes in other strategic locations, including the Changbai Mountain Protection and Development Zone in Jilin, Xigaze in the Xizang Autonomous Region, and Qitai in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Fully steerable telescopes offer a distinct advantage over fixed models of the same size by enabling observations over a broader section of the sky.

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