“The Square Kilometre Array: A Science Mega-Project in the Making” 1990-2012
March 25 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm AEDT
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a grand vision project to build the most sensitive radio telescope in the world. It is a story of transformational science, innovative engineering, and global collaboration. Its journey has been long and complex, reflecting the many issues faced in creating an affordable design, choosing the dual site, and developing a viable global mega science project organisation.
Our presentation covers the period from conception to the crucial site decision in 2012, leading to the pre-construction phase. The accompanying book is based on the authors’ personal experience at the leading edge of the project over many years. The book is intended for an audience ranging from funding agencies and governments involved in major research infrastructures, to the astronomy and physics communities, and professional researchers studying complex mega-projects.
About the presenters:
Phil Crosby trained as a communications engineer in the UK before running his own industrial electronics firm in Sydney. He then worked in scientific instrumentation, followed by 12 years with NATA applying technical management Standards to industry. He established four overseas NATA offices, led a science impact study in Antarctica, and a review of nuclear isotope production at ANSTO. In 2005, Phil joined The Boeing Company as Industry Participation Strategist for aerospace, then moved to CSIRO as Business Strategist for Astronomy and Space. In 2009 he was posted to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope mega-project in the UK in 2009, while completing his PhD in mega science in Manchester.
Phil returned to CSIRO as Assistant Director for Astronomy & Space Science (WA), dividing his time between oversight of the $170 million ASKAP project and industry liaison for the SKA. On returning to Sydney in 2015, Phil joined CSIRO’s new Space Science team, responsible for establishing a credible and capable core group underpinning Australia’s steep sector growth through liaison with Institutions, Government, and Industry. Now an independent consultant in large and complex projects, Phil currently assists public and private organisations on mega-project success, risk management, and international industry engagement strategy.
Phil holds qualifications in electronic engineering, business, and environmental management. His PhD was on success factors of high-technology mega-projects and he is a Fellow of the International Centre for Complex Project Management. Phil is a recipient of the BAE SYSTEMS Chairman’s award for SKA Industry Engagement, and a team recipient of CSIRO’s Chairman’s Medal for the ASKAP telescope project. He is past Chair of the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) Advisory Board, and a Member of the ASCER Advisory Board.
Professor Ronald Ekers has had an internationally distinguished career involving research in radio astronomy and radio astronomical techniques. He has been involved in a wide range of innovative experiments involving radio observations of the sun, planets, stars, galaxies, and quasars. These included the first measurements of the gravitational deflection of radio waves, the discovery of the hot gas spiralling around the nucleus of our galaxy and the discovery of a halo of cosmic ray electrons surrounding a spiral galaxy. Before returning to Australia as the foundation director of the CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, he was the director of the Very Large Array, operated by the U.S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory.