| 13th of May 2021 |
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| SKA telescope directors announced |
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The SKA Observatory (SKAO)
has announced the appointment of its
telescope directors in Australia and South Africa.
Dr Sarah Pearce, currently Acting Chief Scientist of Australia’s
national science agency CSIRO, will be the director of the SKAO’s
low-frequency telescope in Australia. Sarah said: “This is a unique
and exciting opportunity to establish the SKA Observatory team in
Australia and help deliver the world’s next generation radio
telescopes. I’m honoured to continue my work on the SKA Project in
this new role, and I look forward to building a long-lasting
partnership between the SKA Observatory and CSIRO.”
The director of the SKAO’s mid-frequency telescope in South Africa will be
Dr Lindsay Magnus, currently Head of Operations at the South African
Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO).
During the Construction Phase, currently expected to last until 2028, each telescope director will work closely with the relevant site construction director to coordinate all SKAO activities on the ground. They will also direct the operations activities of all SKA Project staff in each country, comprising employees of SKAO itself and of the relevant partner organisation (CSIRO in Australia, and SARAO in South Africa), working together towards delivery of the SKA telescopes. |