🔭 Purple Mountain Observatory

Purple Mountain Observatory, also known as Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory, is a dual-use astronomical observatory operated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force (PLAASF). It is headquartered at Purple Mountain, east of Nanjing, with off-site sensor installations located across the country. The observatory has a very active open science role, serving as China's primary contribution to the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, global asteroid impact avoidance efforts, and calculating the official Chinese calendar. Since the early 2000s, the observatory has gained a significant classified intelligence role, serving as China's primary optical space domain awareness capability. At least part of the military component is operated by PLAASF Base 26 as the Space Target and Debris Observation and Research Center.