I. Basic Information
Project Subject: National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Category: Major scientific facilities
Location: Central Area of Huairou Science City
Area: 10 mu
Building area: 12000 m2
Total investment: 212.45 million yuan
Subject orientation: Space science
Real-life View of Meridian Project Phase II
II. Main Contents
Project introduction: With 31 comprehensive observation stations along 100° and 120° east longitude and 40° and 30° north latitude, the comprehensive ground-based space environment monitoring network (Meridian Project Phase II) forms a “two vertical, two horizontal” ground-based monitoring network covering the whole country.
A combination of various detection methods such as radio, geomagnetic, optical and sounding rockets will be used to form a regional monitoring capability for the ionosphere, middle and upper atmosphere and geomagnetic network (“three networks”); Internationally advanced large-scale monitoring equipment will be built in four regions covering high latitudes in the polar regions, middle latitudes in the north, low latitudes in the South China Sea, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, to carry out refined “microscopic” detection of the space environment (“four focuses”). A series of advanced solar-interplanetary monitoring equipment will be built to form the monitoring capability of the entire chain of the Sun-Earth space ("Chain 1").
The system is capable of real-time detection of the entire solar-terrestrial space weather process with a spatial resolution of 100 kilometres and more than 30 kinds of spatial environmental elements. This makes it the most comprehensive ground-based space environment monitoring network in the world, offering the widest coverage, the most detection methods and the strongest comprehensive detection capabilities.
This will significantly enhance our ability to perceive the spatial environment, foster independent innovation, and provide enhanced security services.
The Meridian Project Phase II will include a space environment monitoring system, a data communication system, a scientific application system, and civil engineering.