Square Kilometre Array Observatory Advances Space Science in Africa

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), an international radio telescope project, is significantly enhancing space science capabilities across Africa, particularly in South Africa. Since the erection of the first satellite dishes in the Karoo desert in 2017, the number of astronomy specialists in South Africa has increased from fewer than five to over 200. Additionally, the project has awarded 1,700 scholarships in various branches of space sciences to undergraduate students, achieving completion rates of 80-90%.

"We have managed to grow the capacity for astronomy in South Africa to between 200 and 300 people from only a handful a few years ago. About 20 years ago, there were only about four people specialising in astronomy in South Africa," said Adrian Tiplady, SARAO’s deputy managing director.

South Africa hosts the mid-frequency telescope component of the SKAO and collaborates with eight other African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritius, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, and Namibia. These partnerships have facilitated skill development in radio astronomy, exemplified by Ghana's conversion of a 32-metre satellite telecommunications antenna into a functioning radio telescope and the establishment of the Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory in 2017.

The SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining "first fringes" using two of its 15-metre diameter dishes, observing a radio galaxy approximately 2.6 billion light-years away. This achievement demonstrates the telescope's capability to operate as an interferometer.

"This is the first true test that all our systems are working together, and that the SKA-Mid telescope is alive as a scientific instrument," said SKAO Director-General Philip Diamond.

The SKA-Mid telescope will eventually comprise 197 dishes, including the integration of the existing MeerKAT radio telescope, which has been operational since 2018. The SKAO is an international collaboration involving 16 partner countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, India, China, and Japan.

The observatory's advancements are expected to yield considerable socio-economic benefits, including innovations in data management techniques, data mining and analytics, imaging algorithms, remote visualization, and pattern matching. These developments align with the African Union’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2024), aiming to unlock innovation-led growth, create jobs, and enhance industrialization.