Country’s researchers to gain access to data from astronomy facilities once construction is complete
Spain is joining the Square Kilometre Array Observatory radio telescope initiative, which will give researchers in the country access to the SKA’s data once its facilities are up and running.
With construction due to finish in 2030, the SKA is designed to help researchers better understand the creation of the universe and other astronomical phenomena by linking observation facilities in South Africa and Australia.
The SKAO intergovernmental organisation running the initiative is headquartered in the UK, and Spain will become its ninth full member alongside the host countries—as well as China, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland.
Germany also just announced that it too will join the initiative.
Spain’s innovation ministry announced governmental approval of Spanish membership of the SKAO on 4 April, saying the country would contribute €41.4 million towards the construction costs of the facilities.
It said that, in addition to researchers gaining access to observations, companies will also be able to compete for construction contracts. They will increase training in “cutting-edge technologies and big data techniques” required for telescope operations, it said.
SKAO director-general Phil Diamond welcomed the development, noting that Spain had been “instrumental” to the development of the initiative.
He said that becoming a member “is an important step as it broadens the observatory’s footprint still further and expands the formal collaboration in our governance, engineering and science”.