China's First Batch of SKA Medium-Frequency Antenna Structures Completed and Shipped to South Africa

TapTechNews July 31st news, today the first batch of SKA (Square Kilometre Array) medium-frequency antenna structures physically contributed by the Chinese side to the international organization Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) were completed and accepted for delivery in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, and set off to be transported to the SKA medium-frequency antenna site in South Africa.

TapTechNews note: SKA started in the early 1990s and is the world's largest-scale synthesis aperture radio telescope jointly built and operated by funds from many countries around the world. The total receiving area of the radio telescopes forming the array is one square kilometre, which is equivalent to the size of 140 football fields. The SKA medium-frequency antenna structure task is led by the Chinese team, which is the first and also the largest single physical contribution task undertaken by China in the SKA project.

The Network Communication Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group is responsible for the design, manufacturing, transportation, integration and commissioning of 64 SKA medium-frequency antenna structures. After this batch of SKA medium-frequency antenna structures arrive in the Karoo region of South Africa, they will be assembled and tested on-site. The 64 medium-frequency antennas made in China are expected to be completely installed and erected by the end of 2026.

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After decades of preparation, the world's largest radio telescope array SKAO has finally started construction.