China’s large exoplanet-hunting telescope is set to be operational in 2026, as announced by its developer, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The telescope, named Jiaotong University Spectroscopic Telescope, will be located on Saishiteng Mountain near the town of Lenghu in northwest China’s Qinghai Province.

With a 4.4-meter aperture, the telescope will allow rapid switching between target sources, enabling timely spectral observations. Scientists anticipate that it will lead to breakthrough research results in time-domain astronomy and exoplanet exploration.

According to the university, the telescope is expected to remain the most dominant spectral telescope in China for a significant period. Its high-precision spectrometer will enable simultaneous multi-target and high-precision spectral observations, making it the first of its kind worldwide. The telescope developer emphasized that it will significantly enhance the efficiency of exoplanet detection.