AAC Clyde Space wins SEK 137 M order from SKA Observatory
2023-12-01 AAC Clyde Space AB (publ)
AAC Clyde Space's subsidiary AAC Omnisys has won a EUR 12.0 million (approx. SEK 137 million) order to build radio astronomy receivers for the SKA Observatory. The order will be delivered successively by the first quarter of 2027.
The contract, the largest awarded by the SKA Observatory to Sweden, is for the provision of advanced receivers for the Observatory's SKA-Mid telescope, currently under construction in South Africa.
The SKAO, short for Square Kilometre Array Observatory, is a publicly-funded intergovernmental organisation that is building two of the world's largest radio telescopes, SKA-Mid in South Africa and SKA-Low in Australia. Unlike conventional telescopes, the SKA telescopes are made up of a collection of thousands of antennas and hundreds of dishes spread over long distances, and connected together by thousands of kilometres of optical fiber. Using state-of-the-art supercomputers to process the data the telescopes receive from the sky then distribute it to the international scientific community, the SKAO is paving the way for a deeper understanding of the Universe.
AAC Omnisys has been selected to provide the SKA-Mid dishes with the Band 1 front end. Covering the 0.35-1.05 GHz frequency range, each receiver is over a meter across and weighs 180 kg. Omnisys will deliver 80 complete functioning and integrated receiver systems to the project. Delivery is expected to continue until the first quarter of 2027.
The receivers are based on a prototype first developed by Sweden's Onsala Space Observatory, a key partner in the SKA project for many years. After years of development and testing, including in Canada and South Africa on the MeerKAT telescope, a precursor to the SKA, the Swedish Band 1 receiver passed its design review and was selected by the SKAO. In 2021, Chalmers University of Technology signed a cooperation agreement with the SKAO on behalf of Sweden, opening up procurement opportunities for Swedish companies.
With its long expertise in the space and astronomy sector, including working with the European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory on the international ALMA radio telescope in Chile, AAC Omnisys will now take this design and manufacture it at scale to answer SKAO's needs.
"The SKA Observatory is set to revolutionise our understanding of the Universe and the laws of fundamental physics as it will provide a significant leap in telescope performance through its sheer size and the large number of antennas. We are proud to have such a central part in turning the SKA into reality, highlighting our innovative approach to quality systems and solutions. We are making space for our future!", says AAC Clyde Space CEO Luis Gomes.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please visit: www.aac-clyde.space or contact:
CEO Luis Gomes, [email protected]
CFO Mats Thideman, [email protected], mobile +46 70 556 09 73
The information in this press release is such that AAC Clyde Space AB (publ) shall announce publicly according to the EU Regulation No 596/2014 on market abuse (MAR). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 13:30 CET on December 1st, 2023.
ABOUT AAC CLYDE SPACE
AAC Clyde Space specialises in small satellite technologies and services that enable businesses, governments and educational organisations to access high-quality, timely data from space. Its growing capabilities bring together three divisions:
Space Data as a Service - delivering data from space directly to customers
Space missions - turnkey solutions that empower customers to streamline their space missions
Space products and components - a full range of off-the-shelf and tailor-made subsystems, components and sensors
AAC Clyde Space aims to become a world leader in commercial small satellites and services from space, applying advances in its technology to tackle global challenges and improve our life on Earth.
The Group's main operations are located in Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, South Africa and the USA, with partner networks in Japan and South Korea.
AAC Clyde Space's shares are traded on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market. The Company's Certified Adviser is Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ). The share is also traded on the US OTCQX-market under the symbol ACCMF.
ABOUT THE SKA OBSERVATORY
The SKA Observatory, or SKAO for short, is an intergovernmental organisation bringing together nations from around the world.
Its mission is to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the Universe, and deliver benefits to society through global collaboration and innovation.
The observatory has a global footprint and consists of the SKAO Global Headquarters in the UK, the SKAO's two telescopes at radio-quiet sites in South Africa and Australia, and associated facilities to support the operations of the telescopes.
Constructing and operating these telescopes will position the SKAO as the leading research infrastructure for radio astronomy globally, providing science capabilities to the international astronomical community for decades to come.
Once in operation, the SKAO will be one global observatory operating two telescopes across three continents on behalf of its Member States and partners.
You can learn more about the history of the SKA project here.