After completion, it will achieve many "firsts". my country's two solar system celestial body observation telescopes have started construction

On June 21, 2025, the construction of a 4.2-meter ground-based special astrometry telescope and a 2.5-meter multi-terminal general-purpose telescope led by the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences started at the Lenghu Astronomical Observatory in Qinghai. The main scientific goals of these two telescopes are to observe celestial bodies in the solar system. They complement each other in terms of observation techniques and achieve high-precision "positioning" of celestial bodies in the solar system. After the completion of the two telescopes, it will be a major breakthrough in the field of astronomy in my country. It will form an internationally advanced ground-based optical precision observation system, achieve a major leap in my country's precision astronomical measurement observation capabilities, and provide strong high-precision observation guarantees for my country's astronomical measurement research and the construction of a space power.

Design drawing of 4.2-meter ground-based astrometric telescope

The 4.2-meter ground-based special astronomical telescope has four major characteristics: large-aperture single mirror, extremely low distortion imaging, extremely high-precision positioning, and extremely deep detection limits. Its main scientific goal is to carry out high-precision position, motion, and characteristic measurements of faint moving celestial bodies in the solar system, support the independent construction and long-term maintenance of my country's solar system celestial body ephemeris, and serve the ground-based observation needs of my country's space missions and deep space exploration, providing core support for my country's high-precision observation and research of solar system celestial bodies. After completion in 2027, the telescope will be my country's first 4-meter-class single-mirror astronomical telescope and the world's largest precision measurement telescope for solar system celestial bodies.

Design drawing of 2.5-meter multi-terminal universal telescope

The 2.5-meter multi-terminal universal telescope is a medium-caliber precision measurement telescope with multi-terminal, multi-functional and multi-application features, which can meet different types of observation needs. Its main scientific goal is to carry out multi-band and multi-type precision measurements of natural and artificial celestial bodies in the solar system, coordinate the independent construction and long-term maintenance of my country's solar system celestial body calendar, and serve major national strategic needs such as Earth-Moon space security and space asset protection. After completion in 2026, the telescope will be my country's largest coaxial transceiver laser ranging telescope.