Minister promotes new site for the world’s largest telescope

Science and Technology Minister Mosibudi Mangena is in the Northern Cape today, to showcase the proposed site for the construction of the Square Kilometre Array. Government information service BuaNews reports that South Africa is bidding to host the world’s largest radio telescope, the 1-point-5 billion dollar Square Kilometre Array, along with Australia, China and Argentina. An independent international site selection committee, made up of experts from around the globe, has to study and compare all bids to rank the potential sites and ultimately select the best possible location. A final decision on where this major science instrument will be built is expected in 2008.