In what has been a remarkable run since the first installation last year, another Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) instrument has been deployed in an African Square Kilometre Array (SKA) partner nation – this time, Botswana.

Spearheaded by Rhodes University’s Distinguished Professor Oleg Smirnov; Dr Benjamin Hugo from the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and Rhodes University; Dr Tim Molteno from the University of Otago and the Electronics Research Foundation (ERF) in New Zealand and a team led by Dr Fahmi Mokupuki from the Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST), the participants installed a new Transient Array Radio Telescope at the BIUST campus in Palapye in March 2025. This follows two successful TART installations in Kenya and Mauritius in 2024.

A low-cost, innovative telescope design developed by Molteno’s group at the University of Otago, and maintained by the ERF, TART was introduced at Rhodes University in 2022, as a result of a collaboration between the University of Otago, Rhodes University, and Stellenbosch University.  Its rollout across African countries is part of a broader initiative aimed at establishing TART telescopes in partner countries. This initiative is funded by SARAO and led by Mrs Carla Sharpe-Mitchell, with support from the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) programme, the University of Otago and the ERF.

The Botswana installation, which took place during a workshop held at BIUST from 17–21 March 2025, was led by Dr Fahmi Mokupuki of the BIUST team.

A newly-designed array layout, featuring antennas arranged on spiral arms, was designed for on-site fabrication, as well as to optimise imaging performance. The successful installation reflects the careful planning and collaboration between international and local experts. By Thursday afternoon, 20 March 2025, the team had fully assembled and activated the telescope, even carrying out a meticulous measuring-tape campaign to precisely establish the effective antenna positions. “We’re learning something with each new installation, so things become easier and easier. The new-generation TART-3 electronics developed by Dr Molteno have streamlined everything; the system is practically plug-and-play now,” says Professor Smirnov.

The workshop also focused on capacity building, with talks on radio astronomy and TART data processing delivered throughout the week by prominent members of the team including Drs Molteno, Hugo and Prof Smirnov. The topics included the TART project overview, technical aspects of the TART telescope, radio astronomy imaging, and working with TART data. The workshop participants included BIUST university postgraduate students, teaching assistants, and staff from the Physics and Astronomy, Computer Science and Telecommunications Engineering Departments.

This latest deployment in Botswana marks another significant step in strengthening Africa’s capabilities in radio astronomy, driven by the dedication of the TART team and their collaborators. As the TART initiative continues to expand, it brings with it valuable opportunities for research and training across the continent, further establishing Africa as a key player in the global radio astronomy community and inspiring future generations of scientists.

 

ADDITIONAL READING:

• BIUST: https://www.biust.ac.bw
• DARA: https://www.dara-project.org
• SARAO: https://sarao.ac.za
• Rhodes Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques & Technologies: https://ratt.center
• TART Project: https://tart.elec.ac.nz
• Electronics Research Foundation:  https://www.elec.ac.nz