The first mid-frequency antenna of the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project, part of the SKA project in which China is a key participant, was installed at the test site of the 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei Province, on Sept 20.
The first mid-frequency antenna of the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project is installed in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei Province, on Sept 20. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
This marks the first mid-frequency antenna to be built since the SKA project entered its construction phase, following the successful online signing ceremony of the SKA Mid-Frequency Antenna Structure Material Contribution Agreement between the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the SKA Observatory at the end of 2022. It signifies that China has played a leading role in the development of core SKA equipment, and provides antenna solutions in the international mega-science project, making important contributions to the international astronomical field.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), an international mega-science project, was initiated in the early 1990s and is the largest comprehensive aperture radio telescope under construction in human history. It is an international effort cooperated and funded by multiple countries, involving astronomers and engineers from hundreds of universities and research institutions in over 20 countries around the world. It is named after the total collecting area of the radio telescopes in the array, which amounts to one square kilometer, equivalent to 140 football fields.
The SKA's stations are located across eight countries in Australia, South Africa, and the southern part of Africa. Approximately 3,000 antennas will be built in the vast wilderness of around 3,000 kilometers to form the "giant eye of the Earth", with a total surface area of one square kilometer, observing the most enigmatic sounds from the depths of the universe. SKA, as the largest radio telescope built in human history, once completed, will be the largest and most advanced scientific facility in the world. It will increase sensitivity by 50 times and survey speed by 10,000 times compared to the current largest radio telescope array.
The first mid-frequency antenna of the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope is installed in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei Province, on Sept 20. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Zheng Yuanpeng, chief scientist of CETC, explained that SKA will offer a significant opportunity for mankind to understand the cosmos and open a new era of cosmic exploration. Entrusted with the mission of unraveling the mysteries of the universe and life, it will be dedicated to addressing fundamental questions shared by countries and humanity, including exploring the origins and evolution of galaxies, discovering more galaxies, seeking new cradles of life, searching for extraterrestrial life, and revealing and answering questions about "fundamental forces."
Xu Xiaogang, Party Chief of the 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, noted that as the leading unit of the SKA antenna structure work package consortium, the institute will collaborate with research and industrial organizations from South Africa, Italy and other countries within the team to jointly complete the construction task of the SKA antenna's structure.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
