China begins building key component for FAST telescope
The core array construction for China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) began on Wednesday, representing a significant development in the country's radio astronomy capabilities. The latest addition to FAST comprises 24 secondary 40-meter antennas situated within 5 kilometers of the main FAST site.
TroibNews 
Construction of the core array for China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) commenced on Wednesday, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s radio astronomy capabilities. This extension will feature 24 secondary 40-meter antennas located within a 5-kilometer radius of the FAST site, with operations anticipated to begin by 2027.
The FAST core array is designed to improve the telescope's sensitivity and achieve high angular resolution, exceeding the performance of comparable international arrays. However, according to Jiang Peng, deputy director of the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, there are two primary technical challenges related to synchronized observational results.
The first is the development of high-performance room-temperature receivers, which the team has not previously employed. The second challenge is the creation of integrated aperture data processing technology to manage data from telescopes of varying sizes, an area in which domestic expertise is still maturing.
The enhancements from the FAST core array are expected to improve resolution, precise positioning, and detailed imaging capabilities, thereby expanding the opportunities for scientific research. This upgrade will be essential for investigating gravitational waves, fast radio bursts, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and black hole tidal disruptions. Furthermore, it will bolster the monitoring of near-Earth objects and facilitate deep-space satellite communications, significantly contributing to China's aerospace initiatives.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
The FAST core array is designed to improve the telescope's sensitivity and achieve high angular resolution, exceeding the performance of comparable international arrays. However, according to Jiang Peng, deputy director of the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, there are two primary technical challenges related to synchronized observational results.
The first is the development of high-performance room-temperature receivers, which the team has not previously employed. The second challenge is the creation of integrated aperture data processing technology to manage data from telescopes of varying sizes, an area in which domestic expertise is still maturing.
The enhancements from the FAST core array are expected to improve resolution, precise positioning, and detailed imaging capabilities, thereby expanding the opportunities for scientific research. This upgrade will be essential for investigating gravitational waves, fast radio bursts, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and black hole tidal disruptions. Furthermore, it will bolster the monitoring of near-Earth objects and facilitate deep-space satellite communications, significantly contributing to China's aerospace initiatives.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
