SA's telescope bid on track

2008-04-22 07:21

Elsabé Brits

Cape Town - South Africa has entered the design phase of the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a giant radio telescope which will be 50 times as sensitive as any similar facility on earth.

South Africa is on the shortlist with Australia to undertake the biggest project in the history of radio astronomy.

The design phase, known as PrepSKA, had just begun after scientists and engineers from across the world met in Australia to agree on the details.

PrepSKA will pave the way for SKA with a three-year programme which will combine all the international efforts to establish a final, cost-accounted, technical design, as well as to define a legal framework.

The UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council, under the guidance of Professor Phil Diamond of the University of Manchester, is leading PrepSKA.

He said in a statement that SKA would lead humanity on a fantastic journey of scientific discovery and that PrepSKA was the final planning phase which would determine the route and would ensure that everyone had their passports.

Will use 4 000 antennae

The project involves 24 organisations in 12 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, the US and the UK. It will last until 2011.

South Africa and Australia should know by 2012 who will host the telescope which will consist of about 4 000 antennae.

Construction of the telescope is due to begin in 2013.

All the antennae will not be at one site but will be spread over 3 000km at 200 stations.

Construction at South Africa's proposed site 95km northwest of Carnarvon in the Northern Cape will take place over a period of seven years. Most of the antennae will be erected in the Northern Cape.

A scientist on the project, Adrian Tiplady, said that both the bidding countries were involved with PrepSKA and that there was a measure of co-operation, even though South Africa and Australia were competing.

- Die Burger