"China's Compound Eye" makes another big move!

Will an asteroid hit the Earth?

How to observe them?

This is a question that scientists have been studying.

today

my country's Deep Space Active Observation Facility Project

There is new progress

The second phase of "China's Compound Eye" will be built in Chongqing

After completion

Asteroid detection and imaging can be achieved tens of millions of kilometers away

8th

Beijing Institute of Technology Chongqing Innovation Center

With the People's Government of Yunyang County, Chongqing

Signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement

Building Together

"Ultra-large distributed aperture radar high resolution

Deep Space Active Observation Facility Project

(hereinafter referred to as "distributed radar")

150 million kilometers! The world's longest-range radar

Distributed radar from Beijing Institute of Technology

National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Jointly built with other universities and institutions

Plans to develop the world's longest-range radar

After the project is completed

Asteroids can be observed within a range of 150 million kilometers

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of Beijing Institute of Technology

Long Teng introduced

Construction of distributed radar project

Will fill the domestic capacity gap

Meet Near-Earth Asteroid Defense

National needs such as space situational awareness

And used for Earth habitability, planet formation, etc.

Frontier research

For example

Tianwen-2 to be launched in the future

Choose an asteroid with suitable conditions to land on

Site selection requires the help of "China's compound eyes"

In conclusion

Involving human future exploration

and major national strategic support issues

We all need a big radar

to the region between asteroids and the Earth-Moon space

Make observations

Also known as the "Chinese Compound Eye", what kind of radar is this?

Well-known

China's Sky Eye FAST is a "big antenna"

The distributed radar built this time

It is composed of more than 20 small antennas.

Each antenna has an aperture of 25 to 30 meters.

Like the compound eyes of insects

Therefore, it is also called "Chinese compound eye"

In terms of function

It is also different from the Sky Eye

The Sky Eye is a radio telescope

Mainly receives signals emitted by stars

It does not emit electromagnetic waves

Distributed radar

Can emit electromagnetic waves to detect asteroids

And can receive echo

Academician Long Teng explained

"Because asteroids themselves do not emit electromagnetic waves

So you can't see it with a radio telescope.

You have to actively emit electromagnetic waves to see asteroids."

(Copyrighted image from the gallery, no permission to reprint)

Why choose Chongqing?

The project is carried out in three phases

First issue

"Distributed Radar Astronomical Imaging Survey Instrument Verification Test Field"

It consists of four 16-meter aperture radars.

Used to verify the feasibility of radar system and key technologies

Enables 3D imaging of the moon

at present

The first phase of the project is located in Longxing Town, Yubei District, Chongqing

All infrastructure construction has been completed

2 radar equipments installed

Servo subsystem debugging in progress

It is expected to start operation in September this year

The second phase of the distributed radar signed this time

The site was selected in Yunyang, Chongqing

More than 20 100-meter equivalent diameter

High-resolution distributed radar

Can achieve tens of millions of kilometers away

Asteroid Detection and Imaging

Completed the demonstration and verification of deep space radar detection and imaging

For my country's near-Earth asteroid impact defense and

Providing important support for planetary science research

Academician Long Teng introduced

As for why the project was implemented in Chongqing

One reason is the geographical latitude of Chongqing.

Suitable for radar settings and observations

Second, in-depth cooperation with Chongqing in scientific research

The third phase will be built in the future

To achieve high-precision active observation of celestial bodies in the inner solar system

By then

It will also be the world's first

Deep space radar with 3D imaging and deformation monitoring

Explore the stars in the universe

We never stop

Let’s look forward to it together!

Source: Science and Technology Daily

◎ Science and Technology Daily reporter Yong Li

Editor: Liu Yiyang

Review: Julie

Final judge: Wang Yu