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TART install in Zambia, June 2025

· 3 min read
Tim Molteno
TART project lead

A TART installation workshop was held at Copperbelt University (CbU) in Kitwe, Zambia between June 2nd and June 6th 2025. The Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) is an open source radio telescope. Originally developed by Dr Tim Molteno, and students at the University of Otago's Department of Physics. The TART is a radio-telescope with the capability to observe the entire sky continuously and optimized to detect satellites, near-earth objects and transient events including high-energy cosmic rays. The telescope is also designed to serve as a platform for the development of new imaging algorithms.

As part of an effort to install TART telescope in all the African SKA Partner nations, this workshop followed installations in Botswana (2025), Mauritius and Kenya (2024). The workshop was presented by Prof Oleg Smirnov (Rhodes University, SARAO, South Africa), Dr Tim Molteno (University of Otago, New Zealand) and Dr Ben Hugo (SARAO, South Africa) with the support of the local installation team led by Dr Saul Phiri and Dr Prospery Simpema of CbU.

The initiative to place TART telescopes in SKA African Partner nations was started in 2023 and is a joint effort of the University of Otago, Rhodes University, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the DARA programme and the Electronics Research Foundation.

TART install in Botswana, March 2025

· 3 min read
Tim Molteno
TART project lead

Another successful TART installation workshop was held at Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in Palapye Botswana on March 17-21 2025. This marks the third successful installation of a TART telescope in an SKA African Partner nation, and followed two successful installations in Mauritius and Kenya in 2024. The workshop was presented by Prof Oleg Smirnov (Rhodes University, SARAO, South Africa), Dr Tim Molteno (University of Otago, New Zealand) and Dr Ben Hugo (SARAO, South Africa) with the local installation team led by Dr Fahmi Mokhupuki of BIUST.

The initiative to place TART telescopes in SKA African Partner nations was started in 2023 at the suggestion of Carla Mitchell-Sharpe, Africa Programme Manager at SARAO. The Botswana workshop was funded by SARAO, the DARA programme, and the Electronics Research Foundation.

TART install in Kenya, August 2024

· 3 min read
Tim Molteno
TART project lead

A successful TART installation workshop was held at Technical University of Kenya, on August 26-30 2024. This workshop was sponsored by SARAO, and the local organizing committee was led by the Kenyan Space Agency, with the able assistance of Dr Willis Odobo. This was the first install of the new spiral antenna concept, and the first install of a TART telescope in an African partner nations. Three members of the TART team, Prof Oleg Smirnov (Rhodes University, South Africa), Mr Rikus Human (Electronics Research Foundation, New Zealand), Dr Ben Hugo (SARAO, South Africa), travelled to the workshop to help with the install.

TART install in Mauritius, April 2024

· 3 min read
Tim Molteno
TART project lead

A successful TART installation workshop was held at Université des Mascareignes, on April 14-19 2024. This workshop was sponsored by SARAO, and the local organizing committee was led by Dr Keshav Sewraj. This was the first install of the new spiral antenna concept, and the first install of a TART telescope in an African partner nations. Three members of the TART team, Prof Oleg Smirnov (Rhodes University, South Africa), Dr Max Scheel (Electronics Research Foundation, New Zealand), Dr Nadeem Oozer (SARAO, South Africa), travelled to the workshop to help with the install.

First International TART Workshop Oct 2023

· 2 min read
Tim Molteno
TART project lead

The first international TART workshop was held at Rhodes University from 9-13 October 2023. This workshop was sponsored by SARAO, and the local organizing committee was led by Dr Stanley Kuja. The press release from SARAO is here.

Members of the TART team were there were myself, Rikus and Ben.