China builds the world's largest telescope

China is building the largest radio telescopes in the world, with a radius of 500m, much larger than the US telescope of the same name called Arecibo (305m radius).

The telescope is about the size of 30 football fields combined and the installation is expected to be completed in September 2016. That is the information that Li Di, chief engineer of the Department of Space Supervision Radio, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, shared with the Global Times.

American Arecibo telescope located in Puerto Rico.(Photo: Newscientist)

According to Mr. Li, the FAST- named telescope manufacturing project was officially started in March 2011 and will be completed within 5 and a half years. So far, the progress of implementation is correct according to plan. However, because this is the largest telescope in the world, in the construction process will certainly encounter some difficulties.

The engineer said the glass is located in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, because the area has many advantages in topography, with a natural deep depression. Not only that, Quy Chau is also a deep-lying province, with few inhabitants, making radio waves free from interference from telephone, radar and satellite waves.

When completed, FAST will be able to spy on space at 10 times faster than the American Arecibo, twice as sophisticated. For purposes of use, Mr. Li said the telescope will be responsible for identifying remote signals in the universe, helping to better understand the matter in the universe as well as the evolutionary history of the universe.

However, some analysts say that FAST can be used to track missiles and space equipment to attack China. This is part of an air combat strategy - the universe that Beijing leaders are pursuing.