World’s largest telescope under construction
China is hoping to finish construction of the world’s largest radio telescope by 2016. The telescope is built upon a naturally-formed bowl-like valley in the southern part of Guizhou. The huge dish is actually hung over the ground supported by thousands of steel pillars and cables and has perimeter of about 1.6 km. The telescope’s reflector is 500 metres in diameter and made up of 4,450 panels. Each panel is an equilateral triangle with a side length of 11 metres. Scientist:
Having a more sensitive telescope, we can receive weaker and more distant radio messages. It will help us to search for intelligent life outside of the galaxy and explore the origins of the universe.
Launches ‘hack-proof satellite
China launches the world’s first quantum satellite, which will help it establish “hack-proof” communications between space and the ground. The satellite is named after the ancient Chinese scientist and philosopher Micius. The satellite will create pairs of so-called entangled photons – tiny sub-atomic particles of light whose properties are dependent on each other – beaming one half of each pair down to base stations in China and Austria. Because its quantum state cannot be observed without changing it. it is useful for ensuring secure communication.
Chinese military wants 13,000 satellites to rival Starlink
Following the success of Musk’s SpaceX Starlink in the Ukraine War, Chinese military researchers want to deploy a national mega-constellation of almost 13,000 low-orbit satellites to emulate Starlink, while military scientists are pursuing research on how to “suppress” or even damage Starlink satellites in wartime scenarios.
Chinese reaserchers in an opaque state-backed project — referred to in China’s satellite industry as “GW” or “Guowang,” translated as “State Network” — have shared concerns in public research and privately with military officials that the project is lagging too far behind SpaceX’s Starlink and should be fast-tracked after the technology withstood practical tests in Ukraine.
The Starlink constellation has finally shown its military colors in the Russia-Ukraine conflict…The focus now is to accelerate the development of China’s own constellation … and explore defensive measures against Starlink-type foreign satellites