SA wants world's largest radio telescope

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18 June 2003 News

South Africa is to submit its bid to host the world’s biggest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The South African SKA has announced that the South African bid identifies three sites in the Northern Cape as ideal locations for SKA radio telescope, each with a diameter of 150 km. The sites are in the Kalahari (north of Upington); in the Karoo (north of Carnarvon); and in Namaqualand (east of Springbok).

Some of the most important reasons why the Northern Cape is ideal, includes the radio quietness of the area (ie, minimum radio interference from cellphone networks, etc), low population density and suitable topography. The core element of the SKA should be in the centre of a 100 km diameter radio interference-free region.

The SA offer to host the SKA has been submitted to an international panel of experts who will select the host country based on a comprehensive set of criteria. If South Africa is successful in winning this bid, it will bring a massive injection of expertise and economic activity to the Northern Cape. Local industries that will benefit include the aluminium, computer, communications, electronics, and steel sectors. South Africa will compete with Australia, China and the US to host the SKA. A final decision is expected during 2005, while construction is expected to start in 2010.

In addition to the location of the three identified sites, South Africa also has the capabilities and track record to host, support, and contribute to the science that will be generated by this giant radio telescope.

The SKA, a $1 billion international project, will have a receiving surface of one million square metres, which is 100 times larger than the current biggest surface. The receiving surface will consist of many small antennas, divided into a core element and a periphery. The peripheral antennas could be between 1000-10 000 km away from the core element, making the SKA an intercontinental system. The signals received by all these antennas will be combined to form one single, big picture. The result will be an instrument capable of probing the secrets of the very early universe.

For more information contact Hilda van Rooyen, The National Research Foundation (NRF), 012 481 4132, [email protected]

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SA wants world's largest radio telescope

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