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Sub-reflector and cabling contracts awarded
from Contact 17
BY MATTHEW TAYLOR (SKAO)
Cabling to link SKA-Low’s antennas and a 1,000 km fibre-optic connection between the SKA-Mid telescope and Cape Town are among recent contracts awarded by the SKAO.
Spanish, South African, and Swiss companies are among those benefiting from the agreements.
The largest contract to date for Spanish companies awarded by the SKAO was jointly handed to engineering services company EOSOL and composite materials company COMPOXI, who will manufacture 44 sub-reflectors for SKAMid.
The 4.5 m sub-reflector is one of the critical parts of each dish and serves to focus signals collected by the larger main reflector.
Gonzalo Crespo, SKA project leader at EOSOL said: “For EOSOL and COMPOXI to participate in this great project is exciting, as it means being part of one of the greatest scientific challenges of humankind, and at the same time it is a great responsibility. We are really happy that the SKAO has trusted us for this great challenge.”
Elsewhere, the UK arm of Swiss cable supplier HUBER+SUHNER has been sub-contracted by Italian antenna manufacturer Sirio Antenne to supply coaxial cabling to connect SKA-Low’s antennas.
This will involve the supply of more than 150,000 assemblies of cabling and associated connectors.
Together the components enable a radio frequency signal link between both the antennas themselves and supporting server and data processing facilities.
Chief Operating Officer, Industry Segment, at HUBER+SUHNER Reto Bolt said: “We recognise how this project has the potential to unlock frontiers in science and deepen our understanding of the Universe. We’re incredibly proud to be working with Sirio and the SKAO and contributing to collecting this body of knowledge.”
Meanwhile, South African ICT firm Gijima has entered a strategic partnership with Finnish multinational Nokia to provide a long-haul end-to-end fibre-optic transmission system.
The network will carry science data 1,000 km from the site of SKA-Mid in the Karoo region of Northern Cape to processing facilities in Cape Town.
Group Sales Director at Gijima Henry Stemmett said the company was “thrilled” to have been selected by the SKAO.
He added: “Our partnership with Nokia ensures that we can deliver a solution that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the SKAO.”
