The African Partner Countries met in Accra, Ghana, over the past two days to further strengthen efforts to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope and associated infrastructure. Africa, along with Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), was short-listed in 2006 to host the SKA. Though both sites have been found to be excellent to host the SKA, it is necessary to determine which is of the two locations best in terms of quality of site and cost to construct. Other possible criteria such as socio-economic impact and favourable weather conditions may be considered in site selection.
The African effort to host the SKA is made up of nine partner countries, which will ultimately host the SKA telescope stations. The partner countries are Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.
The African SKA initiative has another category of cooperation called the SKA African Associate Countries, which is participating in the training of students to become global experts in astronomy, engineering and information technology. Membership to become an SKA African Associate Country is open to all African countries.
In order to ensure that the African offer to host the SKA is successful, a working group (comprising government representatives and technical experts) and a steering committee (comprising permanent secretaries or their equivalents) was set up in April 2008 to collectively resolve issues surrounding the bid and provide the best strategic direction for astronomy and associated people development.
Africa has made good progress over the past few years in an effort to host the SKA. The progress is made visible by the following political decisions:
- The African SKA bid was endorsed by the 15th AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in Uganda during July 2010.
- The precursor group to the African Ministers Council of Science and Technology (AMCOST), released a Declaration of Support for the African SKA bid in Johannesburg, South Africa during 2003.
- At the 14th AU Summit on ICT in January 2010, the South African Head of State pronounced the positive impact of the African SKA on ICT development on the continent.
- At the fourth AMCOST meeting in Cairo, Egypt during March 2010 the African Ministers responsible for science and technology unanimously endorsed their support for the SKA to be built in Africa in view of its benefits toward the advancement of science, technology, innovation and global development.
The first phase of the African SKA demonstrator telescope, MeerKAT, was completed in January 2010 and this first phase telescope array is made up of seven dishes. In early 2011, the MeerKAT site will be connected by broadband optic fibre to a control station in Cape Town, South Africa.
The African Physical Society, which is made up of physicists and mathematicians, agreed in January 2010 to fully support Africa’s pursuit to provide a site for the SKA. This support is an endorsement by the research community of Africa that advances a collective African vision to further grow frontier research and technology development.
The sharing of information and the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the partner countries has emphasised Africa’s strengths in providing the best site for the SKA science. This leads to the conclusion: Africa is ready to host the Square Kilometre Array Telescope.
