High-level diplomats visit SKA-Mid telescope site in the Northern Cape

30 April 2024 Hits: 1

High-level diplomats visit SKA-Mid telescope site in the Northern Cape

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The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) and its South African partners hosted ambassadors and high commissioners from 17 European countries, the European Union (EU), and Australia at the SKA-Mid telescope site in the Karoo last week.

At the visit that took place on Wednesday, 23 April, the diplomats engaged with the construction of the telescope and its progress first-hand. The telescope's first dish is now in an advanced state of assembly and is ready for the "big lift" of its reflector onto the pedestal, a key milestone for the SKAO as it progresses through the first stage of its telescopes' delivery.

The diplomats also visited the on-site data processing centre that currently handles data collected by MeerKAT's antennas and will house the supercomputer that will deal with the vast quantities of data expected to flow from the 197-dish SKA-Mid array. They also met local artisans, and students who are part of South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's Robotics Schools Programme in the Karoo, which develops skills in science, technology, engineering and maths in schools near the SKA-Mid site.

The SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation that comprises member states from five continents and is headquartered in the UK. Its mission is to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the universe and deliver benefits to society through global collaboration and innovation.

Its two telescopes, each composed of hundreds of dishes and thousands of antennas, will be constructed in South Africa and Australia and eventually be the two most advanced radio telescopes on Earth. A later expansion is envisioned in both countries and other African partner countries.

The SKAO collaborates with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), a national facility of the Department of Science and Innovation that is managed by its entity, the National Research Foundation.

Joining the diplomats for the visit, the Department's Acting Director-General, Daan Du Toit, said the global research infrastructure project brings together international partners to collaborate on one of the world's biggest radio astronomy projects.

"It is an endeavour in science diplomacy and is reflected by the many ambassadors present here today, including the EU Ambassador as well as those from the EU member states. The EU has been a supporter of the SKA over the years through various initiatives under the funding instrument of Horizon Europe. We hope that as we progress towards the further construction of the SKA, we will continue to build and enhance our partnership in this regard," said the Director-General.

Construction of the telescopes, which started on 5 December 2022, is following a staged approach with performance being tested as new antennas are added to the arrays, allowing their scientific and technical capabilities to grow incrementally.

South Africa has already constructed the 64-dish MeerKAT antennae that will eventually form part of the SKA-Mid telescope. The SKA telescope will initially comprise 197 dishes and 131 072 antennas spread across two radio-protected sites in South Africa and Australia respectively. Together, they will be one of the biggest science facilities on Earth.

"I was delighted to experience first-hand the extraordinary and far-reaching work being done at the SKAO. It underscores the strength of the strategic partnership of South Africa and the EU on science and innovation and how through multilateralism and international cooperation we can address the defining challenges of our time," said EU Ambassador to South Africa Sandra Kramer.

"The participation of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from EU and associated partner countries speaks of the importance we attach to SKAO. As 'Team Europe', we are combining our resources and expertise to support SKAO and ensure that its findings and data translate into societal benefits for South Africa and beyond, through advancements in health, education, just energy transition and industrial application," she said.

The SKA project has benefited from significant EU funding worth over €50 million throughout its 30-year history - from early design studies to recent multinational projects focusing on data management through helping to progress the governance and policy aspects of the project. The Observatory now counts seven EU member states among its partner countries.

"Some of SKA-Mid's receivers, sub-reflectors, and its feed indexers are among the components being manufactured in European countries, so it's very special to be able to show the result of those contributions on the ground here in South Africa, and to explain alongside our partners the broader impact the SKA project is having here, and more generally across its partner countries," said SKA-Mid Telescope Director, Dr Lindsay Magnus.

In South Africa, local companies, including Power Adenco are involved in the construction of global astronomy infrastructure. The lead infrastructure contractor is required to spend a proportionate amount locally by providing a range of sub-contract opportunities to local small, medium and micro enterprises, on employing, training and transferring skills locally and on other community development initiatives.

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