Sardinia Radio Telescope

The telescope is in Sardinia, north of Cagliari, This in turn requires the metrology and adjustment of the antenna be improved to allow efficient operation at such frequencies. As part of a contract issued in 2024, the SRT is being upgraded with receivers in the X, K, and Ka bands to support space missions. == Collaboration, construction and commissioning ==

The telescope is a collaboration between several research units of the National Institute for Astrophysics: the Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna, the Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari and the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri. Construction was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, the Sardinia Regional Government, the Italian Space Agency and INAF. The telescope cost around €70 million to construct. The contract to fabricate the telescope structure and mechanics started in 2003, and the construction of the foundations was completed in 2004. The initial schedule was for inauguration in late-2006; construction ultimately was completed in mid-2012. The telescope was constructed by MT Mechatronics GmbH of Germany. The first light was on 8 August 2012, using the Moon and 3C218 (Alphard). The technical commissioning phase ended in 2013, and formal inauguration was on 30 September 2013, with scientific commissioning between 2012 and 2015. Its first VLBI connection was in January 2014. == Science ==

The telescope can operate in single dish mode, measuring continuum, polarisation and spectra. It is also used for very-long-baseline interferometry as part of the European VLBI Network, and with the space-based RadioAstron antenna. It is also used for space science, including deep space communication by the Italian Space Agency. == References ==