On 21 January 2025, Sweden signed up to become a member of one of the world’s largest research collaborations – the SKA Observatory. The event was celebrated in London and Gothenburg. Two advanced telescopes are currently being built in South Africa and Australia. Swedish technology companies are already participating in the construction of the telescopes, which will open doors for researchers to make new discoveries about the universe.
Representatives from the Government Offices of Sweden, the Swedish Research Council and Chalmers gathered at the Swedish Embassy in London on January 21 to witness the signing of the SKA Observatory convention by Stefan Gullgren, Sweden's ambassador to the UK.
At the same time, researchers, company representatives and school students gathered at Chalmers to celebrate and follow the signing in the UK.
The signing follows a decision by the Swedish government to join the SKA Observatory, intergovernmental research organisation dedicated to next-generation radio astronomy. This involves research into the universe using advanced telescopes sensitive to radio waves. The SKA Observatory will provide scientists with enormous amounts of data and will revolutionise our understanding of the cosmos and the laws of fundamental physics.
"The telescopes will give us new insights into how galaxies, stars and planets came into being, and also provide clues to the existence of life outside Earth", says Chalmers astronomer John Conway, director of the Onsala Space Observatory.
Onsala Space Observatory has been the driving force behind Sweden's participation in the SKA collaboration for several decades.
”As a new member state of the SKA Observatory, Sweden is helping to build, run and participate in the most exciting research of our time about our universe, together with twelve other countries. With this membership, we are investing in the technology of the future, the knowledge of the future, and in basic research of the most inspiring kind”, says Stefan Gullgren, Sweden’s ambassador to the UK.
"Joining the SKAO collaboration strengthens Sweden's position as a leading nation in knowledge and technology. Access to world-class research infrastructure strengthens the capabilities of Swedish researchers and companies to advance technological development, which is crucial for both the present and the future", says Johan Pehrson, Swedish Minister for Education.
Films and images
Download press material from the construction of the SKA-MID radio telescope in South Africa, source: SKAO
• The first SKA antenna dances together with the antennas in the existing MeerKAT telescope.
• Scenes from the construction of the SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa.
Download press material from the construction of the SKA-LOW radio telescope in Australia, source: SKAO
• Aerial images of the first antennas in the SKA-Low telescope.
Collected media images can be found in the SKA Observatory press room.
Contacts
Robert Cumming, astronomer and communicator, Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, robert.cumming@chalmers.se, +46 70 493 31 14
John Conway, director of Onsala Space Observatory, professor of radio astronomy at Chalmers University of Technology, john.conway@chalmers.se, +46 31 772 55 03
- Communications Officer, Onsala Space Observatory, Space, Earth and Environment
- Full Professor, Onsala Space Observatory, Space, Earth and Environment
