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The Square Kilometre Array Observatory aims to build 130,000 wire antennas in Australia. The image shows a cluster of existing prototypes (left) next to an artist’s impression of the finished array (right). SKAO/ICRAR
Giant radio telescope reaches milestone en route to construction start
Feb. 4, 2021 , 8:50 AM
The Square Kilometre Array has been a dream of radio astronomers for nearly 3 decades. Today, the project officially becomes the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO). Last month, a treaty ratified by six of the project’s member governments came into force. The project’s governing council with delegates from the six ratifying nations and 10 others as observers meets (virtually) for the first time and conjures the SKAO into existence.
Nod from 6 member-nations in, work on world s largest radio telescope to begin in 2021 – Indian Defence Research Wing idrw.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from idrw.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Through the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) as the official representative of the 20-plus scientific institutions, India, too, is involved in this project. However, as a member country, India is yet to complete the final approval and ratification process for joining the construction phase.
Once ready, this observatory could help the scientific community improve its knowledge and seek answers to some of the fundamental and yet poorly-explored aspects of the universe, such as its early history, the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time, fundamental physics in extreme environments and more.
Started in 2014, the SKA design work took six years to be completed, with contributions made by over 1,000 engineers and scientists from across 20 countries.