The International Science and Technology Square Kilometer Array Radio Telescope, or SKA, is located in South Africa and Australia. It is the largest comprehensive aperture radio telescope under construction in human history. After completion, its total reception area will reach 1 square kilometer, which is as large as 140 football fields.As the world's largest comprehensive aperture radio telescope, providing new opportunities for mankind to understand the universe.
SKA is a key international scientific research cooperation project of the Belt and Road Initiative. Recently,SKA’s first intermediate frequency antenna has been hoisted in my country.
CCTV reporter Gao Yan:The Square Kilometer Array, an international large-scale scientific project developed by China, which is the first intermediate frequency antenna of SKA's radio telescope project, has been hoisted. In the near future, the first batch of 64 such intermediate frequency antennas will go to South Africa to promote the construction of radio telescope arrays.
Ma Yingchang, Director of China Electronics Network Communications Research Institute:This antenna is world-class in terms of technology, assembly accuracy, quality control, and our control of the progress of the entire project.
The SKA project is the largest comprehensive aperture radio telescope under construction in human history. It is one of the most important international scientific projects that China is currently involved in. The medium-frequency antenna, led by China, developed by China, and built by China, will effectively help the SKA project "see more clearly, see faster, and see further."
William Garnier, Director of Publicity and Outreach Department of the Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKAO):We know very little about how stars and galaxies are formed. With these antennas, these intermediate frequency antennas to be built in South Africa will give us new clues to understand the origin and evolution of galaxies.
At the SKA office in South Africa, the person in charge of the intermediate frequency antenna project said that after China has solved the structural design, radio technology and production and installation problems of the antenna, it will also cooperate with the South African scientific research team in data processing and storage on the massive data generated by space exploration. It is expected that as soon as 2027, South Africa and Australia will complete the construction of two of the world's most advanced radio telescope observation stations.
Philip Diamond, Director General of the Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKAO):China has more advanced instruments and is very willing to participate in international cooperation projects. I see a bright future from this. As long as we focus on scientific cooperation, I think this is a model of collaborative cooperation in the world.