SKA costs rise

Initial costs of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) mega telescope may need to be revised.

However, SKA SA project manager Bernie Fanaroff says, despite media reports stating otherwise, this does not include the SA project. He says the cost of the final project has no effect on the costs of the bid.

He adds that the initial estimation of costs at EUR1.5 billion for the amount of work that needs to be done was below the mark.

Democratic Alliance (DA) shadow minister of science and technology Marian Shinn previously questioned spending cuts of more than R500 million from the Space Science sub-programme and the rescheduling of the SKA project.

However, science and technology minister Naledi Pandor said the project is firmly on track.

“The rescheduling of 2010/11 expenditure to 2012/13 and beyond is a responsible planning response to ensure SKA benefits from evolving development and telescope redesign,” says Pandor.

The minister emphasises that funds are not being cut from the SKA project. “The initially expected utilisation of funds has been adjusted to reflect the actual utilisation of funds to date.

“The SKA is a 'large science' project. By the very nature of such projects, the flow of funds needs to be monitored constantly and, from time to time, the projected flow will be adjusted.

“The reasons for this are not based on any external considerations, nor do they suggest a setback in the progress of the South African bid. The adjustments are needed to ensure the prototype of the SKA, the MeerKat, is closely aligned to the design requirements of the full SKA.”

SA is bidding against Australia to host the SKA.

The final decision regarding the successful host country for the SKA 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 and outlying stations of 30 to 40 antennae each, spiralling out of the core. These stations will be spread over a vast area of up to 3 000km.

The DST says research areas will include observational radio astronomy, radio astronomy instrumentation, digital signal processing, distributed data processing and RF broadband feeds, receivers and cryogenic packages.

SA has spent R258 million on securing the project. The DST says R23 million was spent on universities, while R155 million funded building roads to the site. Another R11.5 million was spent on building accommodation.