China wants to become a superpower not only on Earth but also in space. This is done by building its own space station, landing a probe on the far side of the moon and sending astronauts to the surface of the moon. Now a group of scientists in China is proposing the construction of a radio telescope on the far side of the moon, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. This would make China the first country to do so.
Chinese scientists have shown plans to build a radio telescope on the far side of the moon to detect the presence of ultra-long-wave cosmic signals to study the history of space. These signals are blocked by the Earth's atmosphere and therefore the moon is the closest location to build this telescope.
China has plans to place up to 7200 antennas arranged on the surface of the moon in an area of 30 square meters. In the first phase, 16 antennas will be placed on the lunar surface using robots and the Chang-e lander, which will take 3 years. Then it will be expanded with 100 antennas arranged by astronauts, and this process is expected to take up to five years.
Once the lunar base is built, it will enter the final phase of all 7,200 antennas being arranged by astronauts on duty, a process that will take 10 years. The construction process goes through several phases to look at challenges, issues that will arise and ensure that the equipment functions as predicted on Earth.