China-Brazil BINGO Telescope Nears Completion to Probe Dark Energy

Deep in the Serra do Urubu mountain range of northeastern Brazil’s Paraiba state, a 40-meter radio telescope is taking shape, poised to become one of Latin America’s most powerful scientific instruments. The BINGO (Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Integrated Neutral Gas Observations) telescope, a joint project between China, Brazil, and international partners, has entered the critical stage of main structure installation and commissioning, according to Xinhua News.

The telescope is designed to tackle one of modern cosmology’s greatest mysteries: dark energy, the invisible force believed to compose approximately 68% of the cosmos and drive the accelerating expansion of the universe.

The Scientific Mission: Listening for Hydrogen’s Whisper

Dark energy remains one of the most perplexing phenomena in astrophysics. At the end of the 20th century, scientists discovered that the universe’s expansion was not slowing down as predicted but accelerating, upending decades of cosmological theory. Because dark energy cannot be observed directly, researchers must study it indirectly through its effects on cosmic expansion.

BINGO’s approach involves measuring baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO)—ripples in the large-scale structure of the universe left over from the early cosmos when matter and radiation interacted. These oscillations serve as a “standard ruler” that stretches as the universe expands, allowing scientists to calculate the history of cosmic expansion and investigate dark energy’s nature.

“BINGO’s core mission is to study the structural features of the universe’s long evolution by receiving weak radio signals from deep space,” said Elcio Abdalla, professor at the Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, and the project’s chief scientist.

The telescope achieves this by detecting the 21-centimeter spectral line emitted by neutral hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. As these signals travel through the expanding cosmos, their wavelengths stretch, recording the history of cosmic expansion. Zhang Jiajun, associate researcher at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the challenge vividly: using neutral hydrogen signals to observe the universe is “like hearing a needle drop in a noisy stadium and precisely determining its position.”

Unlike traditional telescopes that lock onto individual galaxies, BINGO employs intensity mapping technology to survey vast regions of the sky efficiently. “This approach covers a wider area, is more efficient, and is better suited to studying the overall evolution of the universe, at a cost significantly lower than large radio interferometric array telescopes,” Abdalla explained.

Engineering an International Feat

The telescope’s construction represents a remarkable exercise in international engineering collaboration. The primary reflector spans 40 meters with 528 panels in 20 different sizes, while the secondary reflector spans 36 meters with 708 panels in 33 different sizes. Thousands of steel pipes and numerous bolt-sphere connections support the complex structure.

To control costs while maintaining precision, the project team optimized the panel design and simplified the assembly process. “The telescope adopts a dual structure with offset, and each section has a unique shape,” said Wu Yang, senior engineer at the 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). “The installation in Brazil will be done by the Brazilian side, which requires a simplified assembly process.”

The main structure was shipped from Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China on June 9, 2025, departing from the Port of Tianjin the following day. After nearly two months of transport, it arrived at the Port of Suape in Pernambuco, Brazil, as SCMP reported. The site in Paraiba was selected for its exceptionally low radio frequency interference, critical for detecting the faint cosmic signals.

A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths

The BINGO project exemplifies how nations can pool complementary expertise for ambitious scientific goals. “Brazil leads the scientific goals and design, while China has outstanding advantages in engineering manufacturing and technological implementation,” Abdalla said. “This division of labor is both natural and efficient.”

The collaboration extends well beyond the two lead nations. The project, launched globally on July 6, 2021, involves researchers from the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, South Korea, Spain, Germany, Italy, and South Africa, and is one of the pathfinder projects for the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) initiative.

In December 2025, China and Brazil further deepened their partnership by announcing the creation of the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Radioastronomy Technology, operated with Brazil’s Federal University of Campina Grande and Federal University of Paraiba alongside CETC, as Brasil de Fato reported.

Brazilian researchers have also been coming to China to work on the project. Alessandro Marin, a Brazilian postdoctoral fellow at the University of Science and Technology of China, chose USTC for his postdoctoral work because of “the professionalism, rigorous attitude, and trust established through long-term cooperation of Chinese researchers.” Since 2024, Brazilian youth research teams have been conducting research and training at USTC.

Complementing FAST: A Two-Eyed View of the Cosmos

BINGO’s capabilities are designed to complement China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope. While FAST primarily observes the northern sky with exquisite precision, BINGO surveys the southern sky with a much larger field of view.

Zhang Jiajun described the synergy: “FAST is like a meticulous all-around super probe, while BINGO is like a dedicated global scanning machine. When the two work together, we can study the universe both broadly and precisely.” The BINGO team has signed memoranda of understanding with FAST and other major international research teams for future data sharing and collaboration.

Geopolitical Tensions and Scientific Progress

The project has not been without controversy. In March 2026, the BINGO telescope was cited in a US congressional report titled “Pulling Latin America Into China’s Orbit,” which raised concerns about potential dual-use capabilities for military intelligence and space situational awareness. The report, from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, suggested that deep-space observation systems like BINGO could have military applications, as G1 Globo reported.

Despite these concerns, Brazil and China have continued to advance their scientific cooperation, building on a 37-year partnership that includes the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) program. The BINGO project also carries significant regional development potential for the Pianco region of Paraiba, including plans for a science museum, educational outreach programs, and workforce training.

What’s Next

As the BINGO project moves through receiver installation, calibration, electronic system integration, and stability testing, scientists anticipate the telescope will begin scientific commissioning soon, with full operations expected in 2026. The project’s official website confirms that first scientific measurements are planned for this year.

“Based on BINGO, we will be able to answer some of the most fundamental key questions in cosmology from a fundamental level,” said Wang Bin, distinguished professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and member of the chief scientist group. “As these questions are answered, human understanding of the universe will enter a new era.”

For Abdalla, the project’s significance transcends astronomy. “BINGO’s practice fully proves that countries can carry out high-level scientific and technological cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit,” he said. The cooperation model “enhances the overall influence of Global South countries in international large-scale scientific research projects, contributing the wisdom of developing countries to global scientific and technological cooperation.”

As the telescope’s massive reflectors turn toward the southern sky, they carry with them the hopes of scientists across continents—and the promise of unlocking one of the universe’s most profound secrets.