Full Breakdown
China Targets World’s Largest Ground-Based Astronomy Base on Saishiteng Mountain
6/8/2026, 11:18:06 AM
Project Overview and Timeline
The National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) is developing an observatory on Saishiteng Mountain in Qinghai province, a site at roughly 4,500 m altitude with a dry climate, low light pollution and stable atmospheric conditions verified in 2021. Site-planning lead Deng Licai said groundwork, mirror polishing and instrument development are already under way. In 2023 NAOC invested 2 billion yuan to launch nine telescope projects, including a 2.5-m Wide-Field Survey Telescope now in operation. A dome-construction contract for the flagship 14.5-m telescope was signed in November 2024. Both main telescopes aim for “first light” by 2030, with the full Saishiteng complex slated for completion in the mid-2030s.
Telescope Specifications and Funding
The centerpiece is the 14.5-m Large Optical Telescope (LOT), budgeted at 2.5 billion yuan and funded by the Chinese government under NAOC leadership. Complementing it is the 6.5-m MUltiplexed Survey Telescope (MUST), costing 1.5 billion yuan, primarily financed by private capital and led by a research team from Tsinghua University. Together with dozens of smaller instruments, the two telescopes will deliver a collective light-gathering capacity that NAOC expects to exceed that of the Mauna Kea observatory in Hawaii.
Scientific Ambitions and Global Context
The Saishiteng complex is intended to probe the earliest epochs of the universe, including the formation of the first stars and galaxies and the era of cosmic reionization. Planned instrumentation includes a coronagraph for direct exoplanet detection and a high-precision spectrograph, most of which will be manufactured with Chinese technology. Upon completion, the LOT will rank as the world’s second-largest optical telescope after the 39-m Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) under construction by the European Southern Observatory in Chile. The project follows China’s recent high-profile basic-science initiatives, such as the Tiangong space station and lunar-Mars exploration, underscoring a broader push for self-reliant scientific capability.
Official Statements & Responses
NAOC officials have repeatedly emphasized that the Saishiteng initiative is designed to establish the world’s largest ground-based observatory and to surpass Mauna Kea’s light-gathering power. President Xi Jinping, in a February 2023 address, highlighted that “strengthening basic research is an urgent requirement for achieving high-level self-reliance in science and technology and is the only path to building a world-class science and technology powerhouse.” The Tsinghua University team, leading the MUST project, has confirmed its private-capital model and alignment with the national goal of expanding world-class research infrastructure.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Their collective light-gathering power is expected to surpass [that of the telescopes] on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea peak,” — Deng Licai, Lead Scientist for Site Planning, NAOC
- “development is underway to establish the world's largest astronomical observatory on Saishiteng Mountain in Qinghai Province, with completion targeted for the mid-2030s.” — Deng Licai, Chief Scientist, NAOC
- “The light-gathering capabilities of the telescopes on Saishiteng Mountain will surpass those of the telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA.” — Deng Licai, Chief Scientist, NAOC
- “strengthening basic research is an urgent requirement for achieving high-level self-reliance in science and technology and is the only path to building a world-class science and technology powerhouse.” — Xi Jinping, President of China (February 2023)
- “Deng Licai stated on Wednesday that this collective capacity should exceed that of the Hawaiian set, marking a turning point in the leadership of terrestrial optical observation.” — Deng Licai, NAOC
What’s Next
The dome for the LOT will be erected following the 2024 contract, with integration of primary mirrors scheduled for 2025-2026. Both LOT and MUST are on track for first-light operations in 2030, after which commissioning of auxiliary instruments will proceed. Full scientific commissioning of the Saishiteng complex is expected by the mid-2030s, positioning China to conduct flagship observations of the early universe and to compete directly with established sites such as Mauna Kea and the forthcoming ELT.
