Square Kilometer Array – The ICT Telescope of the 21st Century

Professor Sergei Gulyaev, Director of Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, AUT University

Abstract

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - a vast network of dishes that will create the world's largest radio telescope - is a $4 billion international mega-science project. When did the first stars and galaxies form? Did Einstein have the last word on gravity? What is the origin of cosmic magnetism? What is the nature of the dark matter and dark energy? We believe the SKA will be capable of answering these questions. New Zealand is privileged to be at the centre of such an amazing project and should embrace this opportunity to be part of some of the greatest discoveries of our time. Exascale computing, multi-Terabit networking, software development and hardware solutions present the greatest challenge the ICT sector ever had.