China introduced the largest radio telescope in the world

China has put into operation the largest radio telescope in the world this weekend. The machine searches for extraterrestrial life.

This is reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The machine has been tested for three years, but is now officially used for research. Engineer Jiang Peng, who was responsible for the construction, expects “major scientific discoveries” to be made within three years.

A radio telescope searches the space for radio signals, in an attempt to find, for example, extraterrestrial life or signals from celestial bodies. That happens with several large antennas, among other things.

The machine will not only be used by local researchers, China promises. In time, astronomers from all over the world can watch the telescope.

The new radio telescope must be 2.5 times as sensitive as the second largest competitor. 38 gigabytes of information is recorded with the device per second.
160 million euros

A total of 1.2 billion yuan was invested in the construction of the radio telescope, equivalent to around 160 million euros. There was no less than twenty years leading up to construction.