A view of the main civil engineering work of the radio telescope project in Qitai county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on June 8, 2025 (Photo: CMG)

The main civil engineering work of the radio telescope project in Qitai county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was completed and capped on Sunday, marking a milestone in its construction, the China Media Group reported.

The development is the latest achievement in Xinjiang's active role in advancing China's major national science infrastructure initiatives, and it is also the first such facility to be located in the region.

The 6,000-ton telescope is a fully steerable structure with a 110-meter-diameter main reflector. It will be the first major national scientific infrastructure project to be established in Xinjiang.

The project is scheduled for completion and commissioning by 2028, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Once operational, it will become a world-leading, large-aperture, fully steerable radio telescope with high sensitivity and multidisciplinary capabilities. In addition to supporting scientific observation and research, the facility will also serve as a hub for science education and outreach, offering space for public engagement and hands-on activities, according to the report.

One of Northwest China's key geographic advantages, especially in Xinjiang, is its vast, sparsely populated terrain, ideal for astronomical observation. The remoteness helps minimize human activities and electromagnetic interference, a critical factor that affects radio telescope performance, Yuan Lanfeng, a research fellow at the Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale under the University of Science and Technology of China, told the Global Times on Sunday.

A notable example is the LAMOST telescope in Xinglong, North China's Hebei Province, which fell short of expectations due to light pollution and human activities, Yuan noted. The case underscores the limitations of placing astronomical facilities near urban centers. In contrast, Xinjiang's selection for the Qitai project reflects a more strategic and suitable choice, he said.