SKAO Director-General Prof. Philip Diamond pays tribute to Dr Catherine Cesarsky

Above: (L-R) Catherine, Philip Diamond and Ant Schinckel (now SKA-Low Site Construction Director), at CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope in Australia.

Catherine’s dedication and tireless efforts for the SKA project have been an inspiration to many of us during her seven-year tenure.

When she joined as Chair of the Board of Directors of the SKA Organisation in October 2017, it was a crucial time, as the project was transitioning from its design phase to becoming a reality.

Since then she has overseen many milestones: the signature of the SKAO Convention in Rome in 2019, followed by the ratification of the treaty and the creation of the Observatory as an intergovernmental organisation in 2021.

I recall during our first SKAO Council meeting that year, Catherine declared it “a historic moment for radio astronomy”. Her excitement was palpable, and it set the tone for the momentous journey we were about to embark on, in which she would play a fundamental role.

The SKAO has since has welcomed five new members around the Council table, growing from seven to 12 member countries. Catherine’s experience and influence on the global stage were invaluable in this accomplishment.

I’ve been deeply impressed by and learned a lot from Catherine’s ability to navigate complex international collaborations with such tact and determination. Her enthusiasm for the SKA project has been infectious, inspiring all of us to push boundaries and reach for the stars – quite literally.

Catherine has been a trailblazing leader in our field for many decades, and the SKA Observatory is truly privileged to have had her as its first Council chair. I hope the project has made her proud and been a worthy cap to her formidable career.