Qinling Station

Qinling Station (Chinese: 秦岭站; pinyin: Qínlǐng zhàn) is an Antarctic research station operated by the Polar Research Institute of China. It is situated on the southern edge of Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay, Scott Coast, Victoria Land, on the Ross Sea coast of East Antarctica.

Design

The station has an area of 5,244 m² (56,450 sq ft), and is in the shape of the Southern Cross, honouring Zheng He, an admiral and diplomat during the Ming Dynasty.

History

The station first broke ground in 2018, but construction was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 7 February 2024, Qinling Station was officially opened by the People's Republic of China. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, an American think tank, reported that the station was expected to include an observatory with a satellite ground station, and that the equipment could be used to collect signals intelligence and for tracking rockets launched from the Arnhem Space Centre in Australia. China rejected claims that the station would be used for espionage.

In March 2025 China announced plans of its intentions to build its sixth Antarctic station, for summer research, at Cox Point (74°57'S, 136°41'W) in Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica.

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