World's largest radio telescope – Listen to the universe

OHB Digital Connect hands over first high-performance antenna for SKA precursor radio telescope in the Karoo semi-desert - unique collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy continues

Karoo / Mainz / Bremen, 21 February 2024 - It is designed to detect black holes, identify rapidly rotating neutron stars and take a look back into the past,when stars and galaxies were not yet born: The MeerKAT radio telescope with its 64 parabolic antennas in the South African Karoo semi-desert is now being extended by 14 new antennas. Extraordinary: The radio dishes are gradually being integrated into the SKA Square Kilometre Array, an international project to build the world's largest radio telescope with sites in southern Africa and in Australia. OHB Digital Connect GmbH, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, handed over the first of the new high-performance antennas to the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and the South African operators today.

"It is fantastic to see this first SKA antenna being completed. This is an achievement of partners from science and industry, nationally and internationally. And I can’t wait to see the first data from the antenna along with the rest of the array," says Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn.
“The new antennas have been developed explicitly with a view to their integration into the SKA. Mastering this technical challenge and developing the design of the new antennas was only possible thanks to the close and trusting collaboration with the MPI for Radio Astronomy. We are starting today with a design that we have tested in a prototype, which is already delivering the first, very compelling scientific images. We now have our focus on series production," says Fabrice Scheid, Managing Director of OHB Digital Connect's Mainz site.

The new high-performance antennas for the MeerKAT extension have a diameter of approx. 15.5 metres and the antenna tower is 8 metres high. When assembled, the total height comes to 24 metres. The individual segments of the radio dishes are delivered to Cape Town by ship, transported to the desert with heavy equipment and assembled on site. Project manager Steffen Hartmann: "The collaboration with the South African and Chinese teams here on site is going very well, despite all the challenges that such a construction site entails, and it is great to see the progress of the individual antennas, which are being assembled in parallel, every evening at the joint status meeting."

At OHB Digital Connect in Mainz, the servo system is built in advance, which is the electronics that ensure that the motor moves in order to align the antenna very precisely later on. According to Hartmann, this is a real challenge, because in order to be able to carry out an observation with the antenna, very precise positioning is necessary; even while the dish is moving, an accuracy of a few arc seconds must be attained, even in varying wind conditions. In contrast to other antennas of this type, a rack with tensioned drives is used instead of a spindle to increase the accuracy of the pointing.

The location in the Karoo semi-desert in the north of South Africa is ideal for radio astronomical observations, as there is very little terrestrial interference here. However, stringent electromagnetic compatibility requirements must be met. "The servo system design of the antennas must ensure that it itself emits only extremely few RF interference signals, as these signals are in a similar frequency range to the signals received from space.  We have achieved this through elaborate shielding measures and additional filters," says Fabrice Scheid, who also pointed out on the occasion of the antenna handover that OHB Digital Connect was able to register two patents within the project.
"Today, on the day of the antenna handover, I am very proud of this extraordinary team achievement. We are very excited that our technology is helping scientists around the world to gain brand new data and findings, thereby expanding our understanding of the cosmos," says Scheid.

As prime contractor OHB Digital Connect is working on the project together with the following partners from Germany, Italy and China: Lenze, Wittenstein, Bergenkamp, CETC54, SAM.

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