SETTING-UP A GLOBAL NETWORK OF TELESCOPES
Brics Intelligent Telescope and Data Network “The idea of the Flagship Programme was to develop something that would leverage the existing and future facilities that BRICS countries have or have access to, in particular to develop a really internationally competitive Astronomy programme.” • BY NADINE SIMS
he Flagship Programme is a joint venture between BRICS countries that will initially use existing infrastructure in each country to build a network of telescopes, employing their respective strengths to explore and survey the cosmos. The concept of the BRICS Intelligent Telescope and Data Network (BITDN), as it is known, was first proposed in 2017 at an annual 26 BRICS ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE • bricsastronomy.org • June 2022
BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG) meeting. “The idea of the Flagship Programme was to develop something that would leverage the existing and future facilities that BRICS countries have or have access to. In particular to develop a really internationally competitive astronomy programme.” David Buckley from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) explains.
The BRICS Astronomy Working Group first meeting was in 2015, after initial discussions about ways to promote Science and Technology in each country. Astronomy then quickly emerged as one of the main themes, which has now developed into a fullyfledged BRICS Astronomy programme, with the working group meeting annually. It has since morphed into a transcontinental Flagship
