The African Union (AU) has expressed its support for SA's Square Kilometre Array (SKA) bid and Brazil has agreed to interact further with SA on the project.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) says the AU has acknowledged the significance of the SKA project in bringing much-needed development to Africa with the science, technology and innovation that will emanate from it.
At the 15th ordinary session of the assembly of heads of state and government, the assembly expressed its appreciation for SA's efforts in coordinating the bid to promote space science and technology in Africa, according to the department.
“This will drive human capital development programmes on the continent, and boost the move towards knowledge-based economies.”
The assembly also endorsed SA's collaboration with other African countries.
Further collaboration
Brazil and SA agreed to increase interaction on the SKA project, following a declaration the two countries signed in July, reaffirming their determination to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic level, according to the DST.
The department says that on other science and technology issues of cooperation, the two countries have agreed to include innovation, space science, ICT, nanotechnology, renewable energy, biotechnology, and tropical medicines.
“They have also agreed to work bilaterally and, with other countries, to create an extensive research programme on the seabed and marine resources of the South Atlantic Ocean.”
In strengthening human resource development, the countries will promote the exchange of researchers in the area of astrophysics and earth observations, according to the department.
“On climate change, SA and Brazil will collaborate in the implementation of the Copenhagen Climate Change Accord and ensure a balance between adaptation and mitigation, as well as between development and climate change.”
The DST says the countries will also support the need for a balanced system of intellectual property capable of addressing issues of health, poverty eradication, climate change and access to knowledge, through access to technology.
Project value
“If Africa wins the bid against Australia, this will be a major step in developing high-level skills and cutting-edge technology infrastructure in Africa, and attract expertise and collaborative projects to the continent,” says the DST.
It adds that the SKA precursor, the MeerKAT, and the SKA itself have been the focus of what is probably the largest astronomy-focused human capital development project in the world.
The DST is already funding six 15-year research chairs in radio astronomy, each worth just over EUR300 000 per year (inflation-linked).
“In addition, 215 grants have been awarded to young people, mainly for postdoctoral, PhD and MSc research relating to the MeerKAT and the SKA, including some for undergraduate study in physics.”
The department says a technician training programme is also being supported.
Huge scope
The final decision regarding the successful host country for the telescope is expected in 2012, with work due to start in 2013. Operations will start in 2015, provided a significant portion of the array has been commissioned.
The SKA is a mega telescope, about 100 times more sensitive than the biggest existing radio telescope. It will consist of approximately 3 000 dish-shaped antennae and other hybrid receiving technologies, with a core of about 2 000 antennae. These stations will be spread over a vast area of up to 3 000km.
The DST says the core of the telescope will be located in Carnarvon, in the Northern Cape, with about three antenna stations in Namibia, four in Botswana and one each in Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. Each antenna station will consist of about 30 to 40 individual antennae.
Research areas will include observational radio astronomy, radio astronomy instrumentation, digital signal processing, distributed data processing and RF broadband feeds, receivers and cryogenic packages.
At an estimated construction cost of $2 billion, the SKA is poised to be by far the largest radio telescope in the world, and consolidate Africa as a major hub for astronomy in the world, says the DST.
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