About South African Radio Astronomy Observatory

SKA-Mid: South Africa's first mega-science project

The SKAO is an international organisation coordinating a global effort to build the largest science facility on the planet.

The SKAO, or SKA Observatory, is one global observatory operating two telescopes and working across three sites, Australia, South Africa and the UK, on behalf of the Member States and partners. The SKAO’s telescopes will deliver more than half a century of transformational science that promises to have a major impact on society, in science and beyond.

As a member country of the SKAO and host of the SKA-Mid telescope, it is the first time that South Africa will play a key role in a mega-science project.

The SKA-Mid telescope is being built in the Karoo, Northern Cape in South Africa. The SKA-Low telescope will be located in Western Australia, on Wajarri Yamaji Country. These remote and radio quiet regions are the best places in the world to detect radio signals from space.

In South Africa, the SKAO is collaborating with SARAO to build and operate the SKA-Mid telescope.