Espacio Lejano Station
Alternative namesDeep Space Ground Station
Part ofChinese Deep Space Network
People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force Edit this on Wikidata
Location(s)Loncopué Department, Neuquén Province, Argentina
Coordinates38°11′29″S 70°08′58″W / 38.1914°S 70.1495°W / -38.1914; -70.1495
OrganizationChina National Space Administration
National Space Activities Commission Edit this on Wikidata
Telescope styleground station Edit this on Wikidata
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The Espacio Lejano Station is a radio station located in Loncopué Department, Neuquén Province, Argentina, and is operated by the Chinese National Space Administration as part of the Chinese Deep Space Network, in collaboration with Argentina's National Space Activities Commission (CONAE).[1][2] The Chinese Deep Space Network is managed by the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General (CLTC), which reports to the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force.[3][4]

The station was built and is maintained by subsidiaries of China Communications Construction Company.[5] It has been operational since 2018.[5]

Background

The observatory is located north of Bajada del Agrio, near the Salado River on provincial route 33, in the so-called Pampa de Pilmatué, in the deserts of Patagonia.[6][7] The station is based on a two-square-kilometer plot and houses a 35-meter antenna. It is the first Chinese deep space earth station built outside China.[8] The land was leased in 2012 to the Chinese government for 50 years of use, and the agreement includes a tax exemption.[2][9]

China invested $50 million into building the station.[7] Future plans for the facility include research on Mars.[9] The radio station employs at least thirty Chinese employees. The facility has reportedly had a positive effect on the local economy, including the nearby town of Las Lajas, in part as a result of construction work which required 300 workers.[3][9]

According to Chinese media, the station played a key role in China's mission in landing a lunar rover on the dark side of the moon.[10]

Military use concerns

Many, including local residents, journalists, think tanks, and the U.S. government, have voiced concern that the station may be used for military or signals intelligence purposes, but others have challenged or tempered this view.[11][3][12] Mauricio Macri’s former foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, said in an interview that Argentina has no physical oversight of the station's operations.[3] In 2016, Argentine officials stated that China agreed to use the station solely for civilian purposes, but without an oversight mechanism in place.[3][7] Opposition legislators characterized the 50-year agreement with the Chinese government as a loss of national sovereignty.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Preocupa el eventual uso militar de un área espacial de China en el Sur". La Nación (in Spanish). 8 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  2. 1 2 "China and Argentina Resume Joint Venture for Space Exploration". Bloomberg News. 2020-08-07. Archived from the original on 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Garrison, Cassandra (2019-01-31). "China's military-run space station in Argentina is a 'black box'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  4. ↑ "Eyes on the Skies: China's Growing Space Footprint in South America". Center for Strategic and International Studies. October 4, 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  5. 1 2 Lu, Samantha; Boland, Briana; McElwee, Lily (2023-01-24). CCP Inc. in Argentina: China's International Space Industry Engagement (Report). Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original on 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  6. ↑ "China instalará antenas de monitoreo en Neuquén: 2km2 serán chinos por 50 años". www.elmalvinense.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  7. 1 2 3 Londoño, Ernesto (2018-07-28). "From a Space Station in Argentina, China Expands Its Reach in Latin America (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  8. ↑ "Estación china le da a la Argentina "una posibilidad única" para explorar el espacio". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
  9. 1 2 3 "Argentinian congress approves deal with China on satellite space station". The Guardian. 2015-02-26. Archived from the original on 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  10. ↑ "Argentine Lawmakers Seek Greater Oversight of Chinese Space Facility in Patagonia". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  11. ↑ Urdinez, Francisco; Knoerich, Jan; Ribeiro, Pedro Feliú (2018-06-01). "Don't Cry for me "Argenchina": Unraveling Political Views of China through Legislative Debates in Argentina". Journal of Chinese Political Science. 23 (2): 235–256. doi:10.1007/s11366-016-9450-y. ISSN 1874-6357. S2CID 148344648.
  12. ↑ Seligman, Lara. "U.S. Military Warns of Threat From Chinese-Run Space Station in Argentina". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  13. ↑ "Polémica por una estación espacial de China en el Sur". La Nación (in Spanish). 2014-09-03. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
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