‘Scoping out the Neighbourhood – China relocates 10 000 people

China is said to be relocating as many as 10,000 people in order to complete construction upon the world’s largest radio telescope.

The Five hundred metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is located in the south-western province of Guizhou, Mainland China. The Telescope intends to help humankind search for alien life, with Wu Xiangping, director-general of the Chinese Astronomical Society, suggesting that the telescope’s high level of sensitivity “will help us to search for intelligent life outside of the galaxy”.

With FAST on track to commence operation later this year, rural residents dwelling within a 5-kilometre radius of the listening-device will be relocated and subsidised for their troubles. According to a number of sources the relocated residents are set to receive 12,000 yuan (or the equivalent of AUD$2,575).

Although the area is said to be remote and relatively poor, the Guizhou province was specifically selected on the basis of its location and subsequent isolation from major towns, cities and other noise pollutants.

“When completed the Radio Telescope could catch radio signals tens of billions of lightyears away – progressing China’s space monitoring capacities from the moon, to the outer edges of the Galaxy”