Speaker
Description
A new VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) radio telescope is currently being constructed at Bosscha Observatory, Indonesia, in partnership with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The telescope tower structure, comprising a three-story building that includes the reinforced concrete foundation and the anchor ring assembly for the antenna’s steel pedestal, has been successfully completed. The Big Lift operation for the main reflector disk was successfully executed in early July of this year, marking a critical milestone in the structural assembly phase of the VGOS antenna system. The integration and installation of the signal chain components are scheduled to commence shortly, initiating the next phase of the VGOS system's RF and backend instrumentation deployment. It is expected to have first observational tests by the end of 2025. The telescope is anticipated to participate in international VLBI observing campaigns in the near future, including sessions coordinated by the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) and the Asia-Oceania VLBI Group (AOV), thereby contributing to global geodetic and astrometric reference frame maintenance. Situated at geodetic coordinates 6° 49′ 29.85316″ S and 107° 37′ 03.09318″ E, with an ellipsoidal altitude of 1324.1265 m, the newly established VGOS telescope is optimally located to strengthen VLBI baseline coverage in the equatorial zone and to support the densification of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) in the Southern Hemisphere.
