The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Organization has designated China's Tianlai project as an official SKA Pathfinder.

Led by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Tianlai project aims to validate key technologies for detecting dark energy, which is believed to account for approximately 70 percent of the universe and drive its accelerating expansion.

The project has established two telescope arrays: a columnar array with 96 feed sources and a dish array comprising 16 six-meter parabolic antennas. They will test detection methods for neutral hydrogen surveys, contributing to the SKA, a global radio telescope project currently under construction with over 10 participating countries, including China.

The SKA Pathfinder program includes large scientific facilities from around the world and prepares the way for the SKA's scientific and technological advancements. Tianlai's recognition highlights China's significant role in advancing global astronomical research and technology.