Observatory to host office for Square Kilometre Array, which will have 10,000 times the survey speed of current telescopes

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

Jodrell Bank observatory has won a key role in developing the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope, designed to answer some of the most fundamental questions about the universe.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be made up of thousands of individual dishes with a total "collecting area" of about 1 sq km, giving 50 times the sensitivity and 10,000 times the survey speed of the best current telescopes.

It will eventually be located in either Australia, New Zealand or southern Africa, with a target construction cost of €1.5bn (£1.3bn).

It was announced that the SKA project office (SPO) will be based at Jodrell Bank, near Manchester.

It will supersede the existing SKA programme development office (SPDO) currently based at the University of Manchester. The move to Jodrell Bank is scheduled for 1 January next year.

With thousands of receptors located at distances of up to 1,860 miles from the centre of the telescope, the SKA will address unanswered questions about the universe, including how the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang, how galaxies have evolved since then, the nature of gravity and the search for life beyond Earth.

Nine national governmental and research organisations have set up a founding board for the project.

Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK have signed a letter of intent in Rome, declaring their common ambition to see the SKA built, and agreeing to work together to secure funding for the next phase of the project.

Professor John Womersley, chairman of the founding board, said: "Given the current economic environment, it is reassuring that so many partners have recognised the importance of supporting the SKA.

"Our partners have taken this step not only because of the inspirational nature of the discoveries that the SKA will make, but also because of the economic benefits that international megascience projects can bring to participating countries."

The decision on the location of the SPO followed a competitive bidding process in which a number of proposals were received.

A decision on the location of the telescope will be made in 2012.