Recently, “China Compound Eye” organizationally constructed by BIT

successfully launched its observation and

took the first 3D ground-based radar image of the lunar crater in China.

The first 3D ground-based radar image of the lunar crater in China

“China Compound Eye”

is the first large-scale distributed aperture deep space exploration radar in China.

Recently, the Phase I of this project was completed,

which successfully launched its observation in Chongqing and

captured the first 3D ground-based radar image of the lunar crater in China.

01 What is “Chinese Compound Eye”?

“China Compound Eye” at Mingyue Mountain (Phase I)

“China Compound Eye”, a large-scale distributed aperture deep space exploration radar, is planned and constructed by BIT Chongqing Innovation Center, which is located in Chongqing Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone. It combines many small antennas into a large antenna, just like the eyes of insects, so it is named “China Compound Eye”, with the meaning of “the eye of China’s rejuvenation”.

This project will build the radar with the longest detection distance in the world, realize high-resolution observation of near Earth/main belt asteroids, spacecraft, the Moon, Venus and Mars and other terrestrial planets as well as Jupiter satellites and other deep space targets, serve major national needs such as near Earth asteroid defense, space situation awareness, and apply to research on frontier scientific issues such as earth livability, planet formation process, etc.

02 Recent Situation of “China Compound Eye” Construction

4 radars constructed in Phase I of the “China Compound Eye” project

At present, “China Compound Eye” has preliminarily completed the cooperative observation of the moon by 4 radars in Phase I, and obtained partial 3D radar images of the Moon’s front surface, which preliminarily verified the feasibility of distributed aperture deep space exploration radar technology, and also verified the feasibility of 3D radar imaging of deep space targets represented by the Moon. The Phase I of the project is mainly to verify the key technologies for the subsequent facility construction.

The distributed aperture deep space detection radar technology requires extremely high alignment accuracy between multiple radars, which needs to be accurate to the millimeter level to achieve accurate observation and 3D imaging. In the next stage, researchers will continue to fine-tune the 4 radars, so as to take 3D images with higher resolution and observation clarity.

03 Future Outlook of “China Compound Eye”

Researchers are debugging the detection equipment.

According to the plan, the Phase II of the project will build 25 30-meter caliber high-resolution distributed radars in Yunyang County, Chongqing, which can detect asteroids tens of thousands of kilometers away and provide important support for China’s near Earth asteroid impact defense and planetary science research. At present, the Phase II of the project has been approved by the National Key Scientific Research Instrument Development Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (recommended by departments) and supported by Chongqing Development and Reform Commission, Liangjiang New Area and Yunyang County. It is expected to start construction in early 2023.

On this basis, the Phase III of the project plans to form a large-scale scientific facility consisting of hundreds of radars, with a detection range of 150 million kilometers, to achieve China’s long-term leading edge in the field of deep space detection radars.

Generations of BITers have been climbing the technological peak

with outstanding achievements and hard-core technologies, and

will continue to march forward on the road of

constructing a powerful country in the new era.