DocumentOngoingPublication

Ghana Science Commissioning

South African Radio Astronomy ObservatoryRef: MID-2019

Official source

Source domain: sarao.ac.za

Collected on 17 June 2026

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What this means

This fact sheet describes Ghana's successful conversion of a 32-metre communications antenna into a functional radio telescope, making it the first site in Africa to join the African VLBI Network (AVN). The telescope is now integrated into global observational networks and supports the broader Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project. Scientific operations are expected to begin regularly from mid-2019.

What this document offers

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scientific infrastructure integrationOngoing

Integration of the Ghana 32-metre antenna into the African VLBI Network (AVN)

The 32-metre communications antenna in Kutunse, Ghana, has been converted into a functional radio telescope and is being integrated into the African VLBI Network. This allows it to participate in global VLBI observations and contribute to advanced astronomical research.

Who it is for: research teams from Ghana, South Africa, and international partners
How to act on it: Participation through collaboration with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory and the African VLBI Network

Show the line this came from

The 32-metre converted telecommunications antenna at the Ghana Intelsat Satellite Earth Station at Kutunse will be integrated into the AVN in preparation for the second phase construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) across the African continent.

Facts

Places

City of Johannesburg, Gauteng

Reference

MID-2019

Key Takeaways

Ghana
African VLBI Network (AVN)
Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
Kutunse
Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory
mid-2019
32-metre antenna
conversion of communications antenna
first light observations
methanol maser detections
VLBI fringe testing
pulsar observations
Ghana
South African Radio Astronomy Observatory
African Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Network (AVN)
Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
Ghana Intelsat Satellite Earth Station
Kutunse
Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO)
European VLBI Network (EVN)
Johannesburg
Rubedium standard
SEFD
masers
pulsars
azimuth dead zone
sub-reflector position

Dates

Opening Date

25 August 2017