Astronomers from Cardiff University are involved in a race against time to uncover the hidden secrets of the Universe. The team, from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, are completing the very first survey for cosmic hydrogen – the primeval gas which emerged from the Big Bang to form all the stars and galaxies we can see today.
The inauguration ceremony for the European Space Agency’s first deep space ground station was held today in New Norcia, 150km north of Perth. The completion of the New Norcia facility, its first deep space ground station, is an important event for ESA. The station will play a major role in the Agency’s deep space missions, including Rosetta and Mars Express, the latter expected to launch in May this year. The key component of the ground station is its massive antenna which weighs over 600 tonnes and is over 40 metres high. It can move 540 tonnes of ballast, cantilever and 35 metre dish while maintaining precision accuracy of its beam.