ATNF Steering Committee Visits ASKAP

The ATNF Steering Committee in front of ASKAP Antennas 4, 3 and 1, May 2012. Credit: CETC54.
An aerial view of 22 ASKAP antennas and the control building at the MRO, 16 May 2012. Credit: Nigel Poole, CSIRO.

22 May 2012

Members of the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF) Steering Committee visited ASKAP at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) as part of their annual meeting held from 14 to 16 May 2012.

The ATNF Steering Committee has a particular interest in ASKAP. Once complete, ASKAP will join CSIRO's other radio astronomy observatories including the 64-m Parkes radio telescope ('The Dish') and Australia Telescope Compact Array as part of the ATNF.

During their visit to the MRO, members of the Steering Committee saw:

  • All 36 ASKAP antennas, including 30 antennas assembled on their foundations and others in the final stages of construction
  • The newly constructed control building for ASKAP’s complex computing systems, which features two layers of 80dB shielding from radio-frequency interference and a geothermal cooling system
  • Completed infrastructure including roads, optical fibre and power distribution, and
  • New accommodation facilities for visitors to the MRO.

Phil Diamond, Chief of CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science and ATNF Director, said, "The Steering Committee was impressed to see the tremendous progress that is being made on the construction of ASKAP and the development of the MRO. Members could see how ASKAP, with its unique phased array feeds, is broadening the capabilities of modern radio astronomy".

"The aerial view of ASKAP from the plane highlighted how the various elements of project are coming together — from the MRO's remote location to the construction of site infrastructure and antenna development."

The ATNF Steering Committee is an independent committee appointed by Australia's Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research. The committee meets at least once a year to advise the ATNF Director on the broad directions of the ATNF's scientific activities and longer term strategies for the development of the ATNF.

CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, a division of CSIRO — Australia's national science agency, operates and manages the ATNF. The facility supports Australia’s research in radio astronomy and can be used by researchers from institutions all over the world. Read more information on CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility.

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