The European radio astronomy collaboration, RadioNet, has been awarded 9.5 million Euro (85 million SEK) have been granted by the European Commission for the years 2012 to 2015.

RadioNet is the recognized European entity for access to and to exploit a number of excellent facilities in this field of astronomical research. The new project, RadioNet3, not only continues the two preceding European projects, but also takes a leap forward including ALMA, the radio interferometer for submillimetre wavelengths in Chile as well as a number of pathfinder programs for the Square Kilometre Array, SKA.

The Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn is leading 27 partners, among them Onsala Space Observatory. The consortium includes 24 key players in radio astronomy in Europe and three additional ones from South Korea, Australia and South Africa.

"Our aim is to establish a long-term strategy for structuring radio astronomy in Europe", says Prof. Anton Zensus, Director at MPIfR and coordinator of the RadioNet3 project. "We will make sure the results are available to the outside world and the next generation of scientists and engineers are prepared for the advent of the new generation radio telescopes."

For Onsala Space Observatory, part of RadioNet3 means 6.5 million SEK in new funding for the next three years.

“RadioNet has during the years played a key role in the development of European radio astronomy. Now we will be able to make our telescopes even better, and to prepare for the future and for SKA”, says Hans Olofsson, director of Onsala Space Observatory.

See the complete press release at MPIfR

Contact:

Robert Cumming

astronomer and information officer, Onsala Space Observatory 

Tel: +46 31 772 5500 or +46 70 49 33 114

Email: robert.cumming@chalmers.se