The observatory's facilities include the Nanshan Radio Telescope (see List of radio telescopes#Asia), located in Gangou Township,
Ürümqi County (). The 25 m telescope site in Nanshan of XAO is one of the important stations of
Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). As a crucial research base for pulsar, centimeter wave molecular line and active galactic nuclei research, Nanshan station is also involved and plays an important role in China's Lunar Exploration Program. Plans also exist for the construction of a large, fully steerable single-dish radio telescope (diameter 110 m), which is called
Qitai Radio Telescope, or QTT for short. The chosen site for the facility is in
Banjiegou Town,
Qitai County. Upon completion, the sensitivity of 110 m antenna is about 20 times more than a 25 m telescope. On July 15, 2012, the groundbreaking ceremony took place at Banjiegou for the Xinjiang Qitai Astronomical and Science Education Base, which is presumably the facility that will house the telescope. ==Programs==