SKA Observatory contracts worth hundreds of millions or euros already awarded

The SKA Observatory (SKAO), the international organisation responsible for the implementation and operation of the square kilometre array radio telescope project, has already awarded 46 major contracts with a total value of €474-million. And work on the site of the SKA-Mid (middle frequency range) element of the instrument, which is hosted by South Africa, started on Monday. “Off-site construction work started in July 2021,” SKAO deputy director-general and head of programmes Dr Joe McMullin tells Engineering News in an exclusive interview. “Since then, we’ve been busy awarding contracts, getting supply chains established, and starting the manufacture of components and subsystems. But now, we’ve started work on site, and that’s really exciting.”