China has kicked off of a second phase of construction to enhance the capabilities of what is already the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope.
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), situated in a karst region in Guizhou, southwest China, has been operating since January 2020. But now a second phase will add 24 new moveable radio telescopes, each with a diameter of 131 feet (40 meters). Construction officially started on Sept. 25, on the eighth anniversary of FAST’s completion.
This expansion, named the FAST Core Array, aims to make use of the “quiet” electromagnetic environment that exists within a 3-mile (5 kilometers) radius around the telescope, according to China Central Television (CCTV). The site was originally chosen for the area’s remote location and natural topography. When combined into an array, the new telescopes will enhance resolution and detection capabilities.
The plan aims to allow scientists deeper investigations into various fields, including gravitational wave events, fast radio bursts, supernovae and black hole tidal disruption events.
It will also contribute to space situational awareness, detection of small solar system objects, communication and control of deep space probes and other areas, according to a paper on the Array.
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FAST was completed in 2016 and became fully operational in early 2020. It has so far detected more than 900 pulsars, or fast-spinning neutron stars. The giant facility has also been open to research requests from international scientists and teams since early 2021.
