FAST Aims for Full Domestic Supply Chain by 2028, Plans 64-Telescope Array

The supply-chain localization target is the more consequential signal: a flagship scientific instrument moving from imported feed sources, amplifiers and chips to domestic substitutes would validate China's high-end RF and semiconductor capabilities in a demanding, low-volume niche. The 64-telescope array is the payoff, shifting FAST from a single dish to an aperture-synthesis network whose claimed resolution gain depends on coordination and timing precision at scale. Whether the localization timeline holds, and whether the array moves from plan to construction, are the open questions worth tracking.