The observatory's field of view will be 300 times as large as Hubble's one. The telescope will be connected to a space station that will be launched in 2018, said Gu Yidong, a technology consultant for China's manned space flight project and an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Although it will be only 2 meters in diameter, the telescope will have an unprecedented observational depth and resolution, according to Gu.
"Currently, China has planned a series of scientific research platforms and facilities for the space station. The optical cabin is the biggest confirmed project so far," Gu explained.
The cabin will stay in orbit with the space station, and will connect to the station when it needs maintenance or upgrades. China's Tiangong space station is expected to be completed in 2022 and will improve researchers' ability to conduct science experiments.
