Winning A Tender Of IDR 97.9 Billion, China Planning To Build Earth Stations In Antarctica To Monitor The Sea Through Satellites

JAKARTA - China plans to build a earth station at the Zhongshan research facility in Antarctica. This is part of the country's ambitious goal to further beat NASA.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) will develop the project after winning the tender with an offer of 43.95 million yuan or equivalent to IDR 97.9 billion.

The earth station, which will be built in Zhongshan, is located in Prydz Bay in East Antarctica, south of the Indian Ocean. The station will help track tens of thousands of satellites and other objects in Earth's orbit and predict where they will be at a certain time.

This project is supervised by the National Satellite Ocean Application Service (NSOAS) and declared part of the long-term marine economy development plan.

China-based media, the Global Times said the earth station at Antarctica's scientific research base would help eight Chinese marine observation satellites search for exploitation of marine resources, monitor the ecology of coastal zones and marine disasters, and develop China's maritime economy.

China has launched eight marine observation satellites of the Haiyang series into solar synchronous orbits in 2002 and 2021, and is planning for more in the coming years. The first new generation of Haiyang-3 satellites are scheduled to launch this year.

To protect the ecosystem and environment in Antarctica, prefabricated buildings will be used to reduce on-site operation. Environmentally friendly insulation materials developed by CASIC will also be used in the construction of the earth station.

However, some countries have expressed concerns where China could use the station for espionage.

In 2020, Swedish state-owned space company, which has provided earth stations to help fly Chinese spacecraft and deliver data, declined to renew contracts or accept new businesses from the country due to geopolitical changes.

Last year, China's military survey vessel at the port of Hambaltota in Sri Lanka also met strong opposition from neighboring India who were concerned about the potential spy from the country's government.

However, quoted from SpaceNews, Saturday, February 4, China still has ambitions to launch a space mission sharing, hinting at China's increasing demand for ground station support infrastructure.

The Bamboo Curtain country had carried out 19 orbital launches in 2015, but last year tried 64 launches, sending more than 180 satellites into orbit. This year the CASC itself plans for more than 60 launches carrying more than 200 spacecraft.