The Southern Africa Development Community directors-generals of science and technology, communication, telecommunications and broadcasting are meeting in Pretoria today for a one-day workshop on a square kilometre array (SKA) radio telescope.
The meeting, which coincides with World Space Week, will focus on the implications an SKA radio telescope would have for the region.
The Department of Science and Technology says the objective of the workshop is for the director-general of science and technology, Dr Rob Adam, to brief SADC representatives on the SKA progress and the implications of locating remote SKA sites in SADC countries.
Adam is also calling on member nations to assist in compiling a draft declaration on the SKA to be presented to SADC ministers of science and technology in November. Their help is needed in collating information on the declaration of radio quiet zones and radio interference data for site selection, and assessing SADC telecommunications and broadcasting regulations.
The SKA radio telescope calls for a number of outlying arrays that will be spread out over approximately 1 000km. Outlaying arrays will be located in other parts of SA and southern African countries. This implies that each country will require a smaller radio quiet reserve of approximately 20km in diameter for remote array stations.
The SKA forms part of a new generation of radio telescopes, says the department, and will be the premier global facility until 2050. Some of the facilities include the Southern African Large Telescope at Sutherland and High Energy Stereoscopic System in Namibia. An international consortium of countries and institutions representing all major players in the international astronomy community will build SKA. The current projected budget is R10 billion.
The department says in its statement that it strongly believes the construction of an SKA facility will enhance scientific and technological developments in the region.
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