China proposes building massive radio telescope array on Moon’s far side

Scientists from the China Academy of Space Technology in Xi’an and the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory proposed constructing a vast array of radio telescopes on the far side of the Moon.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the project would involve installing 7,200 antennas across a 30-square-kilometer area, enabling the detection of ultra-long-wavelength cosmic signals that Earth's atmosphere typically absorbs.

The initiative is part of China’s lunar exploration program, with a target completion date in the mid-2030s. The undertaking would be a complex engineering challenge, integrating scientific instruments, relay satellites, robotic systems, lunar surface logistics, and communication networks.

China currently selects taikonauts with experience aboard the Tiangong space station for its upcoming lunar missions. In October 2024,  Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of China’s Manned Space Program, confirmed the country's goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030.