Company Profile

Company Overview

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a multi-purpose radio telescope that will play a major role in answering key questions in modern astrophysics and cosmology. It will be one of a small number of cornerstone observatories around the world that will provide astrophysicists and cosmologists with a transformational view of the Universe.

Since 2008, the global radio astronomy community has been engaged in the development of the SKA as a major part of the ‘Preparatory’ phase of the project. The Preparatory phase ended in December 2011 and, following a number of major changes, the international SKA project has now progressed to the ‘Pre-Construction’ phase (2012-15) with the establishment of a new legal entity, the SKA Organisation, on 14 December 2011. The SKA Organisation will be based in the Alan Turing Building, The University of Manchester until October 2012, at which time it will move to a purpose-built building at Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, UK.

The SKA Organisation has annual income of around £5 M and will employ approximately 30 staff by the end of 2012.