China took a crucial step in the construction of the world’s largest radio telescope by shipping the first batch of medium-frequency antennas to South Africa for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project. This major breakthrough underscores China’s contribution to the development of one of today’s most ambitious scientific projects.
China leads in the construction of the largest radio telescope
The antennas, manufactured in Shijiazhuang, capital of Hebei province in northern China, have been shipped directly to the SKA site in South Africa. This monumental project, known for its complexity and magnitude, consists of a network comprising thousands of radio antennas of various shapes and sizes, distributed in different locations in Australia and Africa.
Funded, built and operated by more than ten countries, the SKA promises to offer unprecedented sensitivity and sounding rates in the field of radio astronomy.
China, as one of the seven founding members and signatory to the SKA Observatory Convention, is one of the seven founding members and signatory to the SKA Convention. SKA Observatory Observatory Convention in 2019, has a key role to play in this global effort. The country is in charge of the design, manufacturing, transportation, integration and commissioning of 64 medium-frequency antenna arrays for the SKA.
With the shipment of these antennas, the mass production phase of the structures required for the project officially begins.
Importantly, the complete SKA antenna array promises to revolutionize radio astronomy and is expected to provide fundamental insights into understanding the origin of the universe and facilitate research into the evolution of galaxies. The international collaboration and the advancement of this project underscore the importance of global cooperation in scientific exploration.
Source: news.cgtn
Photo: Shutterstock
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