◎Our reporter Yong Li
On February 14, the second phase of "China Compound Eye" - a large-scale distributed aperture deep space detection radar project started in Yunyang County, Chongqing City.
The project will build 25 30-meter aperture radars, which are planned to be completed in 2025. After completion, it will become the world's most comprehensive deep-space detection radar, and realize the detection of asteroids tens of millions of kilometers away. Impact defense and planetary science research provide important support.
Fill in domestic gaps to support the asteroid defense program
Asteroid impact is one of the greatest threats to the earth. Deep space detection radar is an important means of defense against asteroid impact. It can greatly improve the accuracy of asteroid orbit determination and obtain high-resolution images of asteroids.
The "China Compound Eye" project is led by Beijing Institute of Technology. It plans to build the radar with the longest detection distance in the world in Chongqing. Through high-resolution observation of asteroids, it will meet the major national needs such as near-Earth asteroid defense and fill my country's gap in this field. blank.
The project is divided into three phases. The first phase of "Distributed Radar Celestial Imaging Measuring Instrument Verification Test Site" is located in Mingyue Mountain, Liangjiang New District, Chongqing. It consists of four 16-meter aperture radars. The construction was completed in December 2022. When it was started up and running, it successfully captured my country's first ground-based three-dimensional radar image of a lunar crater.
The "Large-scale Distributed Aperture Deep Space Detection Radar Project" started this time, as the second phase project of "China Compound Eye", landed on Zhongzhou Island, Longjiao Town, Yunyang County, Chongqing City, covering a total area of more than 300 mu, and will build 25 units of 30 meter aperture radar.
After the completion of the second phase of the project, the construction of the third phase of the "China Compound Eye" project will also be planned. The number of radar units is planned to be expanded to a scale of 100, which can expand the boundaries of human radar deep space exploration and provide the world's frontier scientific research such as planet formation. support.
Break through the research difficulties to realize the cooperative work of multiple radars
Traditional concentrated aperture radar is like a biological monocular. Long-distance observation requires a large aperture, which is difficult to achieve physically. Efficiently synthesizing multiple small-aperture radars into large-aperture radars has always been the direction of radar researchers at home and abroad.
"It is difficult for this idea to realize the cooperative work of multiple radars. The realization of the 'Chinese compound eye' can be said to be a breakthrough development in radar technology." Zeng Tao, a professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, introduced that insect compound eyes are composed of multiple small eye nerves. Synergy, through "brain" processing to achieve long-distance observation, "Chinese compound eyes" are like the compound eyes of insects, and multiple radars are combined for coordinated observation, breaking through the power and aperture limitations of traditional concentrated aperture radars, and realizing longer-distance deep space probing.
It is understood that each radar unit of the "China Compound Eye" has an independent antenna aperture, transmitter, and receiver, which are connected to the intelligent control and calculation subsystem through a synchronous distribution link, thus realizing "uniformity" and "sand accumulation". into a tower" effect.
The reporter learned from the Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission that at present, the "China Compound Eye" project has been included in the major projects of Chongqing's "14th Five-Year Plan".
Long Teng, president of Beijing Institute of Technology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony that the official launch of the large-scale distributed aperture deep space detection radar project marks that the "Chinese compound eye" project will enter a new research stage. A milestone in the in-depth cooperation of Chongqing.
The relevant person in charge of the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Bureau said that in the next step, it will further strengthen the in-depth cooperation with Beijing Institute of Technology in the field of science and technology, give full play to the advantages of Beijing Institute of Technology in scientific research and talents, and make full use of the scientific and technological innovation, personnel training, industrial development, and digital economy. and other aspects to promote the formation of new cooperation projects, continuously extend the industrial chain innovation chain, and help Chongqing build a scientific and technological innovation base with national influence.