SA to spend R38m on SKA office

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SA will spend 4million euros (approximately R38m) on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project office – even if it doesn’t win the bid to host the major radio telescope.

Speaking at the SKA meeting in Canada, Science and Technology minister, Naledi Pandor, noted that the country will make substantial contributions to the project.

“I would like to restate South Africa’s firm commitment to support the SKA pre-construction phase. In this regard I can announce that irrespective of the outcome of the site selection, we will provide four million Euros for the funding of the SKA Project Office and its operations during the pre-construction phase. In addition we also stand ready to make substantial local contributions to the various pre-construction work packages,”.

Pandor added that the site in the Northern Cape had been connected to the national power grid and to the national optical fibre backbone. The networks are scalable and some are now SKA ready.

“To improve an already exceptional site, and as tangible proof of the South African Government’s commitment to radio astronomy in our country, recently my department concluded important new agreements with our national Department of Communications, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, and with Sentech and the National Association of Broadcasters.”

“Reciprocating Government’s commitment, Vodacom, a subsidiary of Vodafone, has at its own cost developed new technology to significantly reduce any impact of GSM signals in the area,” she explained.

Pandor noted that progress had been made on the precursor telescope MeerKAT.

“Over the past year all important milestones related to MeerKAT have been achieved, many of them ahead of schedule. Our progress has allowed us to plan to publish tenders for Meerkat at the end of this year. I am also pleased to confirm that the commissioning of the KAT-7 Array will be completed by the end of 2011.”

In July last year, the African SKA project received political endorsement at the highest level. The heads of state and government of the African Union adopted a Declaration at its assembly, expressing the African Union’s support for SA to lead the bid to locate the SKA in Africa.

This Declaration also committed Africa to participate in the global SKA project, putting at the disposal of the project the resources and talent of the continent. The SKA is also recognised as a flagship project by the African Ministerial Council on Science and Technology.

“I have no doubt that the SKA will only progress if cost is recognised as a critical criterion, to be fully and appropriately taken into account for all important decisions related to the further development of the project.”

“It is fair to say, looking back over the past year, that there is new momentum driving the SKA project forward. This momentum will, however, only be sustained and the important milestones looming will only be met, through an even stronger commitment to the global project,” noted Pandor.