The Super telescope is about to favour South Africa over Australia
Australian media are reporting that the country is running behind South Africa in the selection process for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
The gigantic $2bn radio telescope facility is being designed to reply some key questions regarding the Universe.
Twenty nations are involved in the consortium to build the SKA. The facility will incorporate thousands of individual radio antennas over vast areas of ground, with Australia/New Zealand and southern Africa competing to be the host.
For Australia, the array would be centred on a site at Boolardy Station, about 500km (310 miles) north of Perth in Western Australia. For South Africa, the central location would be in the Karoo in the Northern Cape, about 95km from Carnarvon.
"China, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands - the SKA voting board members - could yet decide either way. It is even possible that the array could be shared between both nations, although this would probably increase the construction costs."
The Square Kilometre Array will take to the middle of the next decade to finish
The West Australian (WA) Premier Colin Barnett told national broadcaster ABC that Australia could not have worked harder in its bid.
"I don't believe anything more could have been done, in terms of preparation for the Australia bid," he said.
"If we don't make it, that's a disappointment, but it's not through a lack of effort or funding by the Australian and WA governments."
Australian media are reporting that the country is running behind South Africa in the selection process for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
The gigantic $2bn radio telescope facility is being designed to reply some key questions regarding the Universe.
Twenty nations are involved in the consortium to build the SKA. The facility will incorporate thousands of individual radio antennas over vast areas of ground, with Australia/New Zealand and southern Africa competing to be the host.
For Australia, the array would be centred on a site at Boolardy Station, about 500km (310 miles) north of Perth in Western Australia. For South Africa, the central location would be in the Karoo in the Northern Cape, about 95km from Carnarvon.
"China, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands - the SKA voting board members - could yet decide either way. It is even possible that the array could be shared between both nations, although this would probably increase the construction costs."
The Square Kilometre Array will take to the middle of the next decade to finish
The West Australian (WA) Premier Colin Barnett told national broadcaster ABC that Australia could not have worked harder in its bid.
"I don't believe anything more could have been done, in terms of preparation for the Australia bid," he said.
"If we don't make it, that's a disappointment, but it's not through a lack of effort or funding by the Australian and WA governments."
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