The proposal from China suggests two possible sites, one in the Karst depressions region in the Guinzhou province, for Arecibo type spherical antennas, and the other, a region in Western China.

China is a country with a vast expanse of land. There are varieties of geomorphologic features on the territory, from plateaus to plains, from desert to wasteland, from basins to hilly lands.

Chinese astronomers will make use of the extensively existing karst landforms, which are bowl - shaped limestone sinkholes.

Location of the SKA in China woud benefit from the following:

• A visibility of most of the Milky Way and excellent sky overlap with most large radio telescopes in the northern hemisphere such as the VLA, MERLIN, GMRT, Effelsberg and the GBT;

• Strong science and technology support from major institutes and universities distributed over whole China, as well as quickly developing economy, industry and communication;

• A strong capacity in engineering practice and wide experience in international cooperation ;

• Low labour costs leading to a lower total construction cost of the SKA;

• Stable political and economic environment, with strong and foresighted government enjoying popular confidence and providing support for the SKA;

• Attractive land acquisition terms, favorable infrastructure development options and a naturally high level of physical security.

During November 2004, RFI measurements following the “RFI Measurement Protocol for Candidate SKA
Sites” were carried out in Guizhou province.

More about this location :
Download the White Paper (PDF)
Website: Chinese Large Radio Telescope
News: 14.09.05 - SKA Site Spectrum Monitoring in China

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