Key facts
- China is building a large astronomy base on the Tibetan plateau.
- The base is expected to be the world's largest by the mid-2030s.
- Telescopes at the Saishiteng Mountain site will range from 6.5 to 14.5 meters in diameter.
China is on track to house the world's largest astronomy base by the mid-2030s, according to project scientists. Construction of powerful optical telescopes is underway on the Tibetan plateau at Saishiteng Mountain in northwestern Qinghai province. Deng Licai, lead scientist for site planning at the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) in Beijing, stated that the telescopes will range in size from 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) to 14.5 meters across. These instruments are intended to partner with dozens of other facilities.