Australian - South African SKA "Partnership" Announced. (February 26, 2009)

Australia's Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr and the Republic of South Africa's Minister for Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, in a joint statement agreed that it is now time for Australia and South Africa to work more closely together in partnership to advance the global Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescopic program.

Therefore, the ministers announced that "South Africa and Australia will collaborate in the development of a coordinated scientific and technical program for the SKA pathfinder telescopes, the South African pathfinder MeerKAT and the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP), and they will seek "the close involvement of the SKA Science and Engineering Committee and the SKA Program Development Office... to ensure that this collaboration is an integral part of the international SKA program".

The ministers have announced agreement to work together to promote the scientific value of the SKA to the international community, and the joint venture will also seek to engage partner countries in the development and implementation of the SKA.

The indications are that the two nations hope to minimise the effects of the global financial downturn on the project by projecting a common initiative with which to engage the world's radio astronomical community.

But one matter has not been addressed -- which of the two nations will house the SKA. It might have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall to hear if it came up for discussion between the two ministers.