China
Beijing has officially started operating the world's largest radio-wavelength telescope, which it will use to study space and find extraterrestrial life, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The diameter of the "Fast" telescope is 500 meters, which is equivalent to 30 soccer fields, and it is installed on a mountain in the southwestern province of Guizhou. It is also known in China as "the eye of heaven".
Xinhua reported that the telescope had obtained approval to start operations. China completed its construction in 2016 and has since been subjected to tests and audits to avoid possible technical defects.
Jiang Ping, chief engineer of the telescope, said that the experimental operations are going well so far, and that his sensitivity is more than two and a half times more than the second largest telescope in the world.
The agency said the project also collected some valuable scientific data during that period, and it is expected to help achieve some achievements in areas such as low-frequency gravitational wave observations and interstellar particles.
The development of the space program is a priority for China, which aims to catch up with Russia and the United States and become a superpower in space by 2030.
Beijing plans to start building a manned space station next year.
China
Source: Reuters
