Square Kilometre Array
Encyclopedia
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a radio telescope
in development which will have a total collecting area of approximately one square kilometre. It will operate over a wide range of frequencies and its size will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument. It will require very high performance central computing engines and long-haul links with a capacity greater than the current global Internet traffic
. It will be able to survey the sky
more than ten thousand times faster than ever before. With receiving stations extending out to distance of 3,000 km from a concentrated central core, it will continue radio astronomy
's tradition of providing the highest resolution image
s in all astronomy
. The SKA will be built in the southern hemisphere
, in either South Africa
or Australia
, where the view of our own galaxy
, the Milky Way
, is best and radio interference least. With a budget of €1.5 billion, construction of the SKA is scheduled to begin in 2016 for initial observations by 2019 and full operation by 2024.
The SKA is a global collaboration of 20 countries which is aimed to provide answers to fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of the Universe
.
In April 2011, Jodrell Bank Observatory (of the University of Manchester
) in Cheshire
, England
was announced as the location of the headquarters office for the project.
spread over a distance of more than 3000 km to simulate a single giant radio telescope capable of extremely high sensitivity and angular resolution. The SKA will also have a very large field-of-view (FOV) with a goal at frequencies below 1 GHz of 200 square degree
s and of more than 1 square
degree (about 5 full Moons) at higher frequencies. One innovative development is the use of Focal Plane Arrays
using phased-array technology to provide multiple FOVs. This will greatly increase the survey speed of the SKA and enable multiple users to observe different pieces of the sky simultaneously. The combination of a very large FOV with high sensitivity means that the SKA will transform the exploration of the Universe.
The SKA will provide continuous frequency coverage from 70 MHz to 10 GHz in the first two phases of its construction. A third phase will then extend the frequency range up to 30 GHz.
The frequency range from 70 MHz to 10 GHz, spanning more than two decades
, cannot be realized using one design of antenna and so the SKA will comprise arrays of three types of antenna elements that will make up the SKA-low, SKA-mid and dish arrays:
The area covered by the SKA - extending out to ~3000 km - will comprise three regions:
, fundamental physics, cosmology
and particle astrophysics as well as extending the range of the observable universe
.
A number of key science projects have been selected to be undertaken by the SKA and are listed below.
detectors, or timing pulsars found orbiting black holes, astronomers will be able to examine the limits of general relativity such as the behaviour of space
and time
in regions of extremely curved space. The goal is to reveal whether Einstein was correct in his description of space, time and gravity, or whether alternatives to general relativity
are needed to account for these phenomena.
. Imaging hydrogen
through the Universe will provide a three-dimensional
picture of the first ripples of structure which formed individual galaxies and clusters. This may also allow the measurement of effects hypothetically
caused by dark energy
and causing the increasing rate of expansion of the universe
.
when the Universe became transparent, and a billion years later when young galaxies are seen. By observing the primordial distribution of gas, the SKA should be able to see how the Universe gradually lit up as its stars and galaxies formed and then evolved.
, but it is clear that they are an important component of interstellar and intergalactic space. By mapping the effects of magnetism on the radiation from very distant galaxies, the SKA will investigate the form of cosmic magnetism and the role it has played in the evolving Universe.
signals if existing, and may even detect planets capable of supporting life
. Astrobiologists
will use the SKA to search for amino acids by identifying spectral lines at specific frequencies.
Australia: The core site is located at Boolardy
26°59′S 116°32′E in Western Australia
315 km north-east of Geraldton
on a flat desert-like plain at an elevation of about 460 metres. The most distant stations will be located in New Zealand.
South Africa: The core site is located at 30°43′16.068"S 21°24′40.068"E at an elevation of about 1000 metres in the Karoo
area of the arid Northern Cape
Province, about 75 km north-west of Carnarvon
, with distant stations in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
The final decision on the site will be made in 2012.
to give a wide field of view (30 square degrees).
ASKAP is being built by CSIRO at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory site, located near Boolardy
in the Mid West region of Western Australia. All 36 antennas and their technical systems are expected to be completed by 2013.
and will be completed in 2012.
The SKA is projected to cost €1.5 billion for phases 1 and 2 completing in 2024, this includes €300 million for Phase 1 completing 2019. The funding will come from many international funding agencies. Preliminary expectations are that Europe, the United States and the rest of the world will each contribute a third of the project's funding. The SKA and the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) are the two flagship facilities for ground-based astronomy in the future. They are equal high priority projects in the ASTRONET
roadmap for European astronomy.
to explore the Karoo
for shale gas
using hydraulic fracturing
. The Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act, passed by South Africa in 2007, which outlaws certain radio related activities in astronomy advantage areas may possibly prevent radio interference associated with mining activities within range of the designated SKA site.
Canada
Europe
South Africa
Radio telescope
A radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
in development which will have a total collecting area of approximately one square kilometre. It will operate over a wide range of frequencies and its size will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument. It will require very high performance central computing engines and long-haul links with a capacity greater than the current global Internet traffic
Internet traffic
-Historical Internet Traffic Growth:Because of the distributed nature of the Internet, there is no single point of measurement for total Internet traffic...
. It will be able to survey the sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
more than ten thousand times faster than ever before. With receiving stations extending out to distance of 3,000 km from a concentrated central core, it will continue radio astronomy
Radio astronomy
Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects at radio frequencies. The initial detection of radio waves from an astronomical object was made in the 1930s, when Karl Jansky observed radiation coming from the Milky Way. Subsequent observations have identified a number of...
's tradition of providing the highest resolution image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
s in all astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. The SKA will be built in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, in either South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
or Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where the view of our own galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
, the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
, is best and radio interference least. With a budget of €1.5 billion, construction of the SKA is scheduled to begin in 2016 for initial observations by 2019 and full operation by 2024.
The SKA is a global collaboration of 20 countries which is aimed to provide answers to fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of the Universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
.
In April 2011, Jodrell Bank Observatory (of the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
) in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was announced as the location of the headquarters office for the project.
Description
The SKA will combine the signals received from thousands of small antennaeAntenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
spread over a distance of more than 3000 km to simulate a single giant radio telescope capable of extremely high sensitivity and angular resolution. The SKA will also have a very large field-of-view (FOV) with a goal at frequencies below 1 GHz of 200 square degree
Square degree
A square degree is a non-SI unit measure of solid angle. It is denoted in various ways, including deg2, sq.deg. and ². Just as degrees are used to measure parts of a circle, square degrees are used to measure parts of a sphere. Analogous to one degree being equal to π /180 radians, a...
s and of more than 1 square
degree (about 5 full Moons) at higher frequencies. One innovative development is the use of Focal Plane Arrays
Focal Plane Arrays
Focal Plane Arrays are arrays of receivers placed at the focus of a radio-telescope. Traditional radio-telescopes have only one receiver at the focus of the telescope, but radio-telescopes are now starting to be equipped with focal plane arrays, which are of three different types: multi-beam feed...
using phased-array technology to provide multiple FOVs. This will greatly increase the survey speed of the SKA and enable multiple users to observe different pieces of the sky simultaneously. The combination of a very large FOV with high sensitivity means that the SKA will transform the exploration of the Universe.
The SKA will provide continuous frequency coverage from 70 MHz to 10 GHz in the first two phases of its construction. A third phase will then extend the frequency range up to 30 GHz.
- Phase 1: Providing ~20% of the total collecting area at low and mid frequencies by 2019.
- Phase 2: Completion of the full array at low and mid frequencies by 2024.
- Phase 3: Building of the high frequency array from 2022.
The frequency range from 70 MHz to 10 GHz, spanning more than two decades
Decade (log scale)
One decade is a factor of 10 difference between two numbers measured on a logarithmic scale. It is especially useful when referring to frequencies and when describing frequency response of electronic systems, such as audio amplifiers and filters.-Calculations:The factor-of-ten in a decade can be...
, cannot be realized using one design of antenna and so the SKA will comprise arrays of three types of antenna elements that will make up the SKA-low, SKA-mid and dish arrays:
- SKA-low array - A phased array of simple dipole antennaDipole antennaA dipole antenna is a radio antenna that can be made of a simple wire, with a center-fed driven element. It consists of two metal conductors of rod or wire, oriented parallel and collinear with each other , with a small space between them. The radio frequency voltage is applied to the antenna at...
s to cover the frequency range from 70 - 200 MHz. These will be grouped in 100m diameter stations each containing about 90 elements. - SKA-mid array - This is likely to be a phased array of "tiles" to cover the medium frequency range from 200 to 500 MHz. The 3 metre x 3 metre tiles will be grouped into circular stations, 60 m in diameter.
- Dish Array - several thousand dish antennasParabolic antennaA parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or parabolic dish...
to cover the frequency range 500 MHz to 10 GHz. It is expected that the antenna design will follow that of the Allen Telescope ArrayAllen Telescope ArrayThe Allen Telescope Array , formerly known as the One Hectare Telescope , was a joint effort by the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley to construct a radio interferometer that is dedicated to astronomical observations and a simultaneous...
using an offset Gregorian design having a height of 15 metres and a width of 12 metres. It is hoped that the parabolic dishes will be equipped with focal plane arrays at their focus. This would allow the dishes to observe over a far wider field of view than that achieved with a single element feed. Prototypes of such multiple element feeds are now under development for the pathfinder arrays described below.
The area covered by the SKA - extending out to ~3000 km - will comprise three regions:
- A central region containing 5 km diameter cores of dish antennas, SKA-mid stations and SKA-low antennas. This central region will contain approximately half of the total collecting area of the three SKA arrays.
- A mid region extending out to 180 km. This will contain dishes and pairs of SKA-mid and SKA-low stations. In each case they will be randomly placed within the area with the density of dishes and stations falling off towards the outer part of the region.
- An outer region from 180 km to 3000 km. This will comprise five spiral arms along which dishes, grouped into stations of 20 dishes, will be located. The separation of the stations increases towards the outer ends of the spiral arms.
Key projects
The capabilities of the SKA will be designed to address a wide range of questions in astrophysicsAstrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, fundamental physics, cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
and particle astrophysics as well as extending the range of the observable universe
Observable universe
In Big Bang cosmology, the observable universe consists of the galaxies and other matter that we can in principle observe from Earth in the present day, because light from those objects has had time to reach us since the beginning of the cosmological expansion...
.
A number of key science projects have been selected to be undertaken by the SKA and are listed below.
Extreme tests of general relativity
For almost ninety years, Einstein's theory of general relativity has precisely predicted the outcome of every experiment made to test it. Most of these tests, including the most stringent ones, have been carried out using radio astronomical measurements. By using pulsars as cosmic gravitational waveGravitational wave
In physics, gravitational waves are theoretical ripples in the curvature of spacetime which propagates as a wave, traveling outward from the source. Predicted to exist by Albert Einstein in 1916 on the basis of his theory of general relativity, gravitational waves theoretically transport energy as...
detectors, or timing pulsars found orbiting black holes, astronomers will be able to examine the limits of general relativity such as the behaviour of space
Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
and time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
in regions of extremely curved space. The goal is to reveal whether Einstein was correct in his description of space, time and gravity, or whether alternatives to general relativity
Alternatives to general relativity
Alternatives to general relativity are physical theories that attempt to describe the phenomena of gravitation in competition to Einstein's theory of general relativity.There have been many different attempts at constructing an ideal theory of gravity...
are needed to account for these phenomena.
Galaxies, cosmology, dark matter and dark energy
The sensitivity of the SKA in the 21-cm hydrogen line will map a billion galaxies out to the edge of the observable Universe. The large-scale structure of the cosmos revealed will give constraints to determine the processes resulting in galaxy formation and evolutionGalaxy formation and evolution
The study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby...
. Imaging hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
through the Universe will provide a three-dimensional
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
picture of the first ripples of structure which formed individual galaxies and clusters. This may also allow the measurement of effects hypothetically
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
caused by dark energy
Dark energy
In physical cosmology, astronomy and celestial mechanics, dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Dark energy is the most accepted theory to explain recent observations that the universe appears to be expanding...
and causing the increasing rate of expansion of the universe
Hubble's law
Hubble's law is the name for the astronomical observation in physical cosmology that: all objects observed in deep space are found to have a doppler shift observable relative velocity to Earth, and to each other; and that this doppler-shift-measured velocity, of various galaxies receding from...
.
Epoch of reionization
The SKA is intended to provide observational data to fill the gap—the dark ages; between 300,000 years after the Big BangBig Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
when the Universe became transparent, and a billion years later when young galaxies are seen. By observing the primordial distribution of gas, the SKA should be able to see how the Universe gradually lit up as its stars and galaxies formed and then evolved.
Cosmic magnetism
It is still not possible to answer basic questions about the origin and evolution of cosmic magnetic fieldsMagnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
, but it is clear that they are an important component of interstellar and intergalactic space. By mapping the effects of magnetism on the radiation from very distant galaxies, the SKA will investigate the form of cosmic magnetism and the role it has played in the evolving Universe.
Transient radio phenomena caused by extraterrestrial life
The SKA will be capable of detecting extremely weak extraterrestrialExtraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
signals if existing, and may even detect planets capable of supporting life
Planetary habitability
Planetary habitability is the measure of a planet's or a natural satellite's potential to sustain life. Life may develop directly on a planet or satellite or be transferred to it from another body, a theoretical process known as panspermia...
. Astrobiologists
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry,...
will use the SKA to search for amino acids by identifying spectral lines at specific frequencies.
Possible locations
Suitable sites for the SKA need to be in unpopulated areas with guaranteed very low levels of man-made radio interference. Four sites were initially proposed in South Africa, Australia, Argentina and China. After considerable site evaluation surveys, Argentina and China were dropped and two sites are now shortlisted:Australia: The core site is located at Boolardy
Boolardy
Boolardy Station is a remote sheep station in the north-west of Western Australia, about 194 km north-north-east of Pindar and 200 km west-south-west of Meekatharra. It is within the Shire of Murchison and situated on pastoral lease no. 3114/406 . The area of the lease is .An area of within the...
26°59′S 116°32′E in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
315 km north-east of Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
on a flat desert-like plain at an elevation of about 460 metres. The most distant stations will be located in New Zealand.
South Africa: The core site is located at 30°43′16.068"S 21°24′40.068"E at an elevation of about 1000 metres in the Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
area of the arid Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
Province, about 75 km north-west of Carnarvon
Carnarvon, South Africa
Carnarvon is a small town in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Originally established in 1860 as the village of Harmsfontein, it was located within the territory of Schietfontein, the only water source in the area and the site of the Rhenish mission station founded in 1847 by the...
, with distant stations in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, and Mauritius.
The final decision on the site will be made in 2012.
Precursors, Pathfinders and Design Studies
Many groups are working globally to develop the technology and techniques required for the SKA. Their contributions to the international SKA project are classified as either: Precursors, Pathfinders or Design Studies.- Precursor facility: A telescope on one of the two SKA candidate sites, carrying out SKA-related activity.
- Pathfinder: A telescope or programme carrying out SKA-related technology, science and operations activity.
- Design Study: A study of one or more major sub-systems of the SKA design, including the construction of prototypes
Precursor facilities
Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP)
The Australian SKA Pathfinder, or ASKAP, is an A$100 million project to build a telescope array of 36, 12m dishes. It will employ advanced, innovative technologies such as phased array feedsFocal Plane Arrays
Focal Plane Arrays are arrays of receivers placed at the focus of a radio-telescope. Traditional radio-telescopes have only one receiver at the focus of the telescope, but radio-telescopes are now starting to be equipped with focal plane arrays, which are of three different types: multi-beam feed...
to give a wide field of view (30 square degrees).
ASKAP is being built by CSIRO at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory site, located near Boolardy
Boolardy
Boolardy Station is a remote sheep station in the north-west of Western Australia, about 194 km north-north-east of Pindar and 200 km west-south-west of Meekatharra. It is within the Shire of Murchison and situated on pastoral lease no. 3114/406 . The area of the lease is .An area of within the...
in the Mid West region of Western Australia. All 36 antennas and their technical systems are expected to be completed by 2013.
MeerKAT
MeerKAT is a South African project to build an array of 64 - 13.5m diameter dishes as a world class science instrument and also to enable technology required for the SKA to be developed. KAT-7, a seven-dish engineering and science testbed instrument for MeerKAT, located near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa is already up and running and the full MeerKAT array is expected to be ready by 2015-2016. The dishes will be equipped with a number of high performance single pixel feeds to cover frequencies from 580 MHz up to 14 GHz.Pathfinders
- Murchison Widefield ArrayMurchison Widefield ArrayThe Murchison Widefield Array is a joint project between MIT, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Raman Research Institute and an Australian consortium of universities, to build a low-frequency radio array operating in the frequency range 80-300 MHz...
- APERture Tile In Focus
- electronic European VLBI Network
- Electronic MultiBeam Radio Astronomy ConcEpt
- e-MERLIN
- Expanded Very Large Array
- Long Wavelength Array
- SKA Molonglo Prototype
Allen Telescope Array
The Allen Telescope Array uses innovative 6.1m offset Gregorian dishes equipped with wide band single feeds covering frequencies from 500 MHz to 11 GHz. The 42-element array now in operation is to be extended to 350 elements. The dish design has explored methods of low-cost manufacture.LOFAR
LOFAR is a €150 million Dutch-led project building a novel low frequency phased aperture arrays spread over northern Europe. An all-electronic telescope covering low frequencies from 10 to 240 MHz which has been coming online through 2009 to 2011. LOFAR will demonstrate crucial processing techniques vital to the SKA.Design Studies
- Aperture Array Verification Programme
- Canadian SKA Program
- Preparatory Study for the SKA
Technology Development Programme (TDP)
The Technology Development Programme, or TDP, is a US$12 million programme to specifically develop dish and feed technology for the SKA. It is operated by a consortium of universities led by Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and will be completed in 2012.
Timeline and funding
The SKA was originally conceived in the early 1990s with an international working group set up in 1994. This led to the signing of the first Memorandum of Agreement in 2000. Considerable early development work then followed. This culminated in the commencement of PrepSKA in 2008 leading to a full SKA design in 2012. Construction of Phase 1 will take place from 2016 to 2019 providing an operational array capable of carrying out the first science. Phase 2 will then follow for completion in 2024 providing full sensitivity for frequencies up to 10 GHz.The SKA is projected to cost €1.5 billion for phases 1 and 2 completing in 2024, this includes €300 million for Phase 1 completing 2019. The funding will come from many international funding agencies. Preliminary expectations are that Europe, the United States and the rest of the world will each contribute a third of the project's funding. The SKA and the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) are the two flagship facilities for ground-based astronomy in the future. They are equal high priority projects in the ASTRONET
Astronet
Starting September 2005, 1st, Astronet is a consortium which gather European funding agencies in order to «establish a comprehensive long-term planning for the development of European astronomy»- Participants :*CNRS/INSU , France,...
roadmap for European astronomy.
Project risks
In 2010, concerns were raised over increased radio interference at the South African site due to an application by Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
to explore the Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
for shale gas
Shale gas
Shale gas is natural gas produced from shale. Shale gas has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States over the past decade, and interest has spread to potential gas shales in the rest of the world...
using hydraulic fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing
Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of utilizing pressurized water, or some other liquid, to fracture rock layers and release petroleum, natural gas, or other...
. The Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act, passed by South Africa in 2007, which outlaws certain radio related activities in astronomy advantage areas may possibly prevent radio interference associated with mining activities within range of the designated SKA site.
See also
- List of radio telescopes
- LOFARLOFARLOFAR is the Low Frequency Array for radio astronomy, built by the Netherlands astronomical foundation ASTRON and operated by ASTRON's radio observatory....
(the Low Frequency Array, currently under construction in several European countries, with its core in the Netherlands) - Mills Cross (historical connections with the SKA development in Australia)
- Project CyclopsProject CyclopsProject Cyclops was a 1971 NASA project that investigated how SETI should be conducted. As a NASA product the report is in the public domain. The project team created a design for coordinating large numbers of radio telescopes to search for Earth-like radio signals at a distance of up to 1000...
- Photographs from the Boolardy site, June 2010
External links
Australia/NZ- "Australia may host Square Kilometre Array", Cosmos magazine, September 2006
- SKA Australia web site
- Boolardy Station and the Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory (MRO) - University of Western Australia
Canada
Europe
South Africa