Catalan participation in the SKA Observatory, considered one of the largest scientific engineering endeavours of the 21st century

• Countries from five continents collaborate in the construction of the two sets of SKA radio telescopes, the largest currently existing on Earth
• IEEC researchers at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) and the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) participate in several scientific working groups of the observatory
• The Catalan company Compoxi, together with EOSOL, will build the sub-reflectors of the SKA-Mid telescope, critical optical components to accurately reflect the faint astronomical signal received

The SKA Observatory (Square Kilometre Array, SKAO) has entrusted Compoxi (a Girona-based company specialising in the design and production of composite materials) and EOSOL (an international company based in Navarra specialising in engineering services) to build a large number of sub-reflectors for the mid-frequency telescope ‘SKA-Mid’, currently under construction in South Africa.

SKAO is considered one of the largest scientific engineering projects of the 21st century. Countries from five continents are collaborating in the construction of the two largest radio telescope arrays on Earth: on the one hand, in Australia, the low frequency array, known as ‘SKA-Low’, will have 131,072 antennas spread over 74 km; on the other hand, in South Africa, ‘SKA-Mid’ will have 197 parabolic antennas (incorporating the 64 of the ‘MeerKAT’ radio telescope) spread over 150 km. Because of the size and number of antennas, SKA will represent a significant leap in resolution, sensitivity and observing speed over other radio telescopes, allowing more parts of the universe to be seen in greater detail than ever before. The array design and processing power will also allow radio astronomers around the world to study different parts of the cosmos simultaneously.

The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC — Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) collaborates with the SKA Observatory with researchers at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) and the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), who participate in different science working groups. Some of the topics covered include the study of the cradle of life (the formation of planets, etc.), our galaxy, cosmic magnetism, pulsars or transient events.

Compoxi is part of the NewSpace Lab, the reference point for NewSpace sector facilities in Catalonia, an initiative of the Government of Catalonia and the IEEC to facilitate the use of the various infrastructures. With the participation of Compoxi in the construction of the sub-reflectors, the Catalan contribution to the observatory extends to the technical part from the private sector, which shows the great potential of the space sector in the region.

The sub-reflector is one of the critical parts of the satellite dish, which serves to concentrate the signals collected by the main reflector. Each sub-reflector is a 4.5-metre structure made of composite material and metallised to achieve the electromagnetic and mechanical properties required for the project.

“The ‘SKA-Mid’ subreflector is a technically challenging design; the surface requires high levels of precision and is a critical optical component to accurately reflect the faint astronomical signal received,” says SKAO Dish project manager Mark Harman. “It also has to be very rigid to withstand the environmental conditions. We are very impressed with the capabilities of EOSOL and COMPOXI and are excited to be working on this project as we start to prepare for construction activities next year.”

SKAO is part of a new era in the history of the exploration of the Universe. It will aim to answer fundamental questions in astrophysics, while bringing benefits to society through technological innovations and collaborations between continents and scientific communities. As for the IEEC, the following ICE-CSIC researchers participate in a working group of the project: Josep Miquel Girart, Ciska Kemper, Álvaro Sánchez Monge, Daniele Viganò, Francesco Coti Zelati, Nanda Rea, Laura Tolós, Diego Torres, Mar Mezcua and Josep Maria Trigo. From the ICCUB, the researcher Gemma Busquet is participating.

The radio telescopes are currently in the construction phase; the first scientific verifications are expected to begin with partial arrays at the end of 2026, and the scientific capabilities will increase as construction continues over the next six years.

Links

• IEEC
• ICE-CSIC
• ICCUB
• Compoxi
• EOSOL
• SKAO

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About the IEEC

The Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC — Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya) promotes and coordinates space research and technology development in Catalonia for the benefit of society. IEEC fosters collaborations both locally and worldwide and is an efficient agent of knowledge, innovation and technology transfer. As a result of more than 25 years of high-quality research, done in collaboration with major international organisations, IEEC ranks among the best international research centres, focusing on areas such as: astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, and Earth Observation. IEEC’s engineering division develops instrumentation for ground- and space-based projects, and has extensive experience in working with private or public organisations from the aerospace and other innovation sectors.

The IEEC is a non-profit public sector foundation that was established in February 1996. It has a Board of Trustees composed of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC), and the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). The IEEC is also a CERCA centre.