SHAO is taking in charge of the VLBI tracking system of Chinese Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP). The group is built for real time VLBI system development and operation.

The VLBI tracking system is composed by 5 VLBI stations (Tianma65, Seshan25, Urumqi25, Miyun50 and Kunming40) and VLBI data processing center in Shanghai. The system is connected by high speed fiber link.

The VLBI system has carried out the VLBI tracking and orbit determination of Chang’E-1 from 2007 to 2009, Chang’E-2 from 2010 to 2012, and carried out the Chang’E-3 VLBI tracking, orbit determination, positioning for the soft landing in 2013, as well as the CE-5T1 experiment.

The VLBI data processing center consists of four parts:

l   Operation and control hall 

l   Central computer room

l   Mark5 system room

l   Electric power supply room

The center is also dedicated to the operation and data processing of other VLBI observing programs, inclusive of the CMONOC project for monitoring the Chinese regional crustal movement and the Chinese deep space exploration projects for spacecraft tracking. The Shanghai correlator was approved as an IVS correlator in 2012.

In the near future, the center will contribute to the data processing of the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) and the East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN).