SKA for everyone?

Do you ever do that thing where you make plans to go out with some friends and get really excited about it the whole week before, but only until the day has almost arrived do you start considering the details?

You start thinking about how the friends you invited don't really get along and you'll be playing middle man the entire night. About how Friday nights are when you usually stay in and take time to unwind, and about how you don't actually like the place at which you agreed to eat.

This is the kind of anxiety I'm feeling now that the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope is getting close enough for the details to be seriously considered.

SA is bidding against Australia to host the SKA, a mega telescope about 100 times more sensitive than the biggest existing radio telescope.

The final decision regarding the successful host country is expected in 2012, with work due to start in 2013 and operations expected to begin in 2015.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) says research areas will include observational radio astronomy, radio astronomy instrumentation, digital signal processing, distributed data processing and RF broadband feeds, receivers and cryogenic packages.

Don't get me wrong, I know it would be a great opportunity for SA to be host to the largest telescope in the world.

I'm not questioning the greatness of the telescope, but just who it will be great for.

Farzana Rasool, journalist, ITWeb

I know that it will let us see as far back as the dark ages and may help disprove Einstein's theory of relativity.

I also know that the telescope will bring in scientists from all over the world, helping our economy; and will allow surrounding areas to have access to speedy broadband.

But what I don't know is how these benefits will actually reach the average South African.

How much can scientists, who will most likely stay glued to SKA screens and feeds anyway, add to the economy?

It's like saying we should spend billions on fancy sports stadiums so international teams will constantly come, with their fans in tow, to use our brilliant facilities... oh wait, we already did that and no, they didn't.

I don't doubt that scientists will flock to such an incredible tool, as the SKA promises to be, and I don't doubt that it may make SA an impressive hub for research, but will it be enough? What will it mean for the man on the street? Will it mean enough to justify its large costs?

I suppose this recent worry came along with the fact that the telescope is going to cost $2 billion to build and then another $150 million-$200 million a year for 50 years for maintenance and operation.

That amount of money should make anyone think twice.

I mean, SA doesn't want to come across as that kind of parent that sends out a fancy invitation to a fancy house with snot-nosed, rag-wearing children running around in it, right?

And, of course, wouldn't our leaders make sure there is a huge benefit for the citizens when this kind of money is involved? Yes, it is a serious question.

Again, I'm not questioning the greatness of the telescope, but just who it will be great for. It's hard not to think about how many RDP houses, university educations, hot meals, Internet connections and water treatment facilities that money could buy.

I guess my question is whether the money used for the SKA will bring as much value to South Africans in need as it would if used to directly better their lives.

The DST has already spent about R258 million on the project. And now we have a possible threat to SA's bid to host the telescope, which would mean that the investment already made may just be in vain.

Oil giant Shell wants to swoop in and spoil (or save) the day, depending how you look at it. The company has proposed to explore for gas in an area of more than 90 000 square kilometres, in the South Western Karoo Basin, through a controversial “fracking” process.

The Karoo area just happens to be where the SKA would be hosted, and international partners are starting to ask questions, because the exploration could cause strong radio frequency interference.

This comes into conflict with some of the physical requirements for the selection of the SKA site, which includes an extremely radio quiet environment that should be at least 3 000km in extent.

The department says it has legislations that will stop Shell from doing anything that interferes with the telescope.

As if spending R258 million on a telescope we may not win is not enough, government may also put R100 million into a satellite company to help it stay afloat.

Cabinet has approved a controversial majority equity stake acquisition in SunSpace of between 55% and 60% by government.

SunSpace developed SA's second national satellite, SumbandilaSat, which is providing geographical imaging for research purposes, and is now also tumbling around in space due to technical problems.

The company says it can not survive without a major investor assuring long-term financial stability and it has been unable to secure private industry funding. So, of course, our government with the deep pockets stepped up.

Well, while we're being so generous, we may as well take on a few more risky projects at about R100 million or R200 million or, what the heck, R1 billion each. E-tolling anyone?