What is the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project?« Back to Questions List

Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project plans to build the world’s most powerful radio telescope system.  The project is an international effort which will be over an area of one million square metres  (one square kilometer) of collecting area.  The detailed design and   preparations are progressing well.  SKA project combines the latest technologies in engineering, research and development towards establishing a unique instrument.  Square Kilometer Array project brings together the world’s most eminent researchers, engineers, scientists and policy makers to implement the powerful radio telescope system.  

The SKA will have thousands of dishes and up to one million low frequency antennas that will support astronomers to watch the sky in minute detail and monitor the entire sky much faster than any existing system. The image resolution quality of the SKA is expected to exceed that of the Hubble Space Telescope.  As of now, no existing system has the capability to image vast areas of the sky in parallel. The SKA will have this capability with highest level of sensitivity. The SKA will design, build and launch a range of large telescopes in the optical and infrared range into space in coming years opening up an era of scientific discoveries. 

The entire project is co-hosted by Karoo region in South Africa and Murchison Shire of Western Australia. These desert sites were selected for scientific and technical reasons. The atmosphere above desert sites with their quietness will support easy  identification of signals.  The core high frequency and mid frequency dishes will be hosted by Karoo desert while low frequency antennas will be placed in Murchison Shire.

The initiative for the SKA project was taken by ten member countries. However, approximately hundred organisations from twenty countries are actively involved in the design and implementation of the project.  The project involves design of more powerful supercomputers than any in existence. It is also expected that the network will have to carry much more data than the entire internet. The project is envisaged to be completed by 2030. 

The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project recently achieved an engineering milestone, when it deployed a full station of 256 low-frequency antennas.  It is presently undergoing tests at CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia. This is known as the Aperture Array Verification System (AAVS1). It is being used to help assessment and finalization of the design of the low frequency antennas for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), known as SKA-low.  The scientists have also succeeded in launching the world’s first optical telescope linked to a radio telescope. This combines the ‘eyes and ears’ to study secrets of the universe. Why is Optical Telescope linked to Radio Telescope in news?

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