TART telescope installed in Ghana with exciting new concept

A new concept of “TART in a box” was taken on its first drive recently with Ghana being the chosen site for the latest Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) installation.

The sixth installation since the first TART roll-outs in Kenya and Mauritius in 2024, followed by installations in Botswana, Zambia and Hammanskraal, South Africa respectively, earlier this year, this state-of-the-art, 24-element synthesis array radio-telescope is designed to use entirely commercial off-the-shelf components.

The Ghana TART installation was completed during a training workshop held from 18 to 22 August 2025, hosted by the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) with partners from South Africa and New Zealand.

The TART telescope continuously observes the entire sky in the GPS band. Besides providing satellite tracking capabilities, it also has science goals that lie in the detection of transient events – fleeting cosmic phenomena that provide crucial insights into the Universe. Beyond its observational capabilities, the telescope provides a versatile platform for hands-on training of students, as well as the development and refinement of new imaging algorithms, pushing the boundaries of radio astronomy data processing.

Spearheaded by Dr Tim Molteno from the University of Otago and the Electronics Research Foundation (ERF) in New Zealand; Rhodes University’s Distinguished Professor Oleg Smirnov, and Dr Benjamin Hugo from the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), this technology was introduced to South Africa through a collaborative effort, bringing together the expertise of the University of Otago, Rhodes University, and Stellenbosch University.

This extensive project is generously supported by SARAO and also receives invaluable support from the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) programme. The overarching aim of this initiative is to strategically establish a network of TART telescopes in various African partner countries, fostering young talent, scientific collaboration and capacity building across the continent.

The new structure, a “TART in a box” kit, was initially created by a volunteer in New Zealand. The development of the manufacturing process was conducted and sponsored by EMSS Antennas as part of development programmes aimed at supporting local South African companies to expand their skills and capabilities. The new kit allows a TART to be broken down into flat parts, and the entire box can be transported on a regular flight as check-in luggage. Thereafter it can be quickly assembled on-site.

“It is a very nice development, because we no longer need to worry about having the structure manufactured on-site. This has been a source of risk in the past due to different sites not necessarily having access to the right facilities,” says Professor Smirnov.

INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION

DARA: https://www.dara-project.org

SARAO: https://www.sarao.ac.za

Rhodes Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques & Technologies: https://ratt.center

TART Project: https://tart.elec.ac.nz

Electronics Research Foundation:  https://www.elec.ac.nz

EMSS Antennas: https://www.emssantennas.com/