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The idea for the Five‑hundred‑meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) first emerged in 1993 as part of China’s Knowledge Innovation Project. In October 2001 it received backing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Technology. After a feasibility study approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2007, the project entered the design phase in 2008 and construction began in 2011. Five and a half years later, in September 2016, the telescope was ready for operation.
FAST sits in the Dawodang depression of the Guizhou mountains, a site chosen for its temperate climate, excellent drainage, and rugged karst geology that shields the dish from radio‑frequency interference and wind. The 500‑meter (1,600‑foot) spherical dish is almost twice the diameter of the former Arecibo telescope and covers an illuminated surface of 300 m. The location allows a peak zenith angle of 40°, an opening angle of 100–120°, and a southern sky reach up to 60° with additional feed systems.
The dish is composed of 39,000 adjustable panels that can reshape to correct spherical aberrations, eliminating the need for complex mechanical structures. A movable feed cabin suspended by cables serves as the focal point, while a parallel robot and servomechanism fine‑tune the focus with high precision. FAST operates across a frequency range of 70 MHz to 3 GHz.
Managed by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, FAST employs 71 scientists, technicians, and support staff. Since its inauguration in September 2016, the facility has completed numerous successful observing campaigns.
FAST’s science agenda includes:
These efforts build on Arecibo’s legacy while pushing the frontiers of radio astronomy.
While entrance to the site is free, visitors pay 50 yuan (~$7.20) for a shuttle ride to the observatory and an additional $7.20 for the nearby astronomical museum. To protect scientific operations, the site limits daily visitors to 2,000 people.
With FAST, China has demonstrated its capacity to lead in cutting‑edge astronomy. The country now boasts a larger pool of scientific researchers than the United States and spends more on research and development than many European nations.
