China doubles down on building cutting-edge telescopes in Thailand

Summary of the article ::: spoiler spoiler China Doubles Down on Building Telescopes in Thailand to Monitor Earth Using Space Signals.

China has completed its first overseas new-generation radio telescope in northern Thailand, bolstering a global scientific network that monitors deep space signals and tracks subtle shifts in the Earth’s rotation and tectonic plates. The 13-metre (43-foot) radio antenna, jointly developed by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, was officially inaugurated in Chiang Mai on May 16, according to the observatory’s WeChat account. Together with a second telescope under construction in Songkhla, southern Thailand, the station will enhance deep-space tracking and high-precision Earth monitoring, contributing to more accurate GPS, climate research and earthquake forecasting. Ding Chibiao, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the Chiang Mai telescope as “a role model of scientific cooperation between China and Thailand”. Supachai Pathumnakul, permanent secretary of Thailand’s higher education and science ministry, said the telescope reflected the growing scientific partnership between the two nations and would deliver high quality data for global research efforts. By April, it had completed a full 24-hour observation session – including enhanced measurements of Earth’s rotation – as part of a network of similar Chinese telescopes.

The two telescopes in Thailand are part of a technique called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), which links multiple radio telescopes across vast distances to function as one enormous, Earth-sized antenna. These features allow the instrument to process vast amounts of information in real time, supporting continuous and highly accurate observations of both space and Earth, according to the observatory.

While traditional VLBI systems relied on slower measurements and narrower bandwidths, new-generation stations are designed to provide faster, continuous monitoring with unprecedented precision, meeting the demands of modern geodesy and space science.

All are 13-metre new-generation antennas, and together they form part of the Chinese VLBI Network. :::

Easy read Summary

Neat.

I wonder how much better China does at citing observatories/telescopes in consideration of envrionmental/cultural concerns?

I guess a lot seeing as how I don't see too much "China bulldozes Thailand cultural cite for telescope" headlines.