| 16th of April 2021 |
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| Funding announced for SKA |
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The Australian Government has announced a major new investment in the
SKA
to support the move into the construction
phase. The investment includes funding for telescope construction and
operations, the Australian SKA Regional Centre (SKA science data
processing centre), and benefits for communities near the Western
Australian telescope site.
The announcement of $387 million in funding over 10 years will ensure
Australia meets its commitments to the SKA as it moves into the
construction phase in the second half of this year.
The funding includes a $64.4m investment in the Australian SKA Regional Centre (or AusSRC), a node of the global SKA Regional Centre network that will work with researchers to maximise scientific impact from SKA science data. The government also announced further investments in site readiness and local communities. This will ensure that Australia delivers a scientifically excellent telescope site while protecting Indigenous heritage. The image above is a composite image of SKA-Low antennas at the MRO. The image blends a real photo (on the left) of SKA-Low prototype antennas with an artist’s impression of the telescope as it will look when constructed. |