Telecom New Zealand hands over 30-metre radio telescope to AUT

Telecom New Zealand has handed over to Auckland University of Technology (AUT) its 30-metre Cassegrain wheel-and-track beam-waveguide antenna.

It was manufactured in 1984 by Nippon Electric Corp., and since then it was used by Telecom NZ for communication between New Zealand and Pacific Islands. The antenna is located near Warkworth, just 200 metres north of the AUT’s 12-m radio telescope, which was launched two years ago. According to expert opinion, the antenna is in a good state, and after conversion to a radio telescope it has the potential to become a world-class facility. This event will have a significant impact on research and development in practical radio astronomy and Very Long Baseline Interferometry, enhancing New Zealand’s capability to co-host the Square Kilometre Array with Australia.