Development of a new national facility for Mexican radio astronomy at Tulancingo
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
This project will transfer skills in radio astronomy technology from the UK to Mexico. The government of the Mexican state of Hidalgo is funding the conversion of a 30-m diameter satellite communications antenna to a radio telescope for the use of the Mexican research community. UK researchers will provide training and assistance to the Mexicans in converting the antenna systems, and in designing and building a state-of-the-art cooled radio receiver for the converted antenna. The new radio telescope will be used for education and research in Mexican universities and research institutes, operated either as a stand-alone telescope or as part of larger arrays. The new facility will also be capable of being used as a deep-space network ground station, opening up new commercial opportunities.
Planned Impact
The non-academic impact of this work will be through the education and training of Mexican researchers in technical engineering skills including cryogenic and vacuum engineering, radio-frequency electronics, high-speed digital electronics and signal processing, and computing. All these skills have many applications in fields such as communications engineering, radar, video processing etc. There will also be a positive impact in science outreach to the Mexican public from discoveries and observations that will be made with the new Tulancingo telescope. The opportunities for Mexican companies will also be opened up by using the antenna as a deep-space network ground station.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Leeds (Collaboration)
- National Autonomous University of Mexico (Collaboration)
- National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (Collaboration)
- University of Hertfordshire (Collaboration)
- Mexican Space Agency (Collaboration)
- Center for Engineering and Industrial Development (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER (Collaboration)
- Government of Mexico (Collaboration)
- Ministry of Communications and Transport (Collaboration)
Publications
Kurtz S
(2022)
A born again 32-meter radio telescope for Mexico
Liu C
(2021)
Characterizing the performance of high-speed data converters for RFSoC-based radio astronomy receivers
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | The primary aim of this project was to bring back into operation the Tulancingo 1 antenna in Mexico for use in both research and teaching. In addition the project supported technology and knowledge transfer to the research and engineering community in Mexico with regard to the development of sensitive radio astronomy receivers. By the end of the project the Tulancingo antenna was sufficiently characterized that the project could be handed over solely to the Mexican partners who are now continuing with the full refurbishment of the antenna. A prototype receiver was jointly built and developed which will now form part of the final development of the antenna for teaching and research. |
| Exploitation Route | The Mexican partners have taken on sole responsibility for the final development and commissioning of the Tulancingo antenna. They have already published journal and conference papers on their progress and plan to also collaborate with other international partners to e.g. host different and new radio receivers on the dish. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | Center for Engineering and Industrial Development |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | Government of Mexico |
| Department | Government of the State of Hidalgo |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | Mexican Space Agency |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | Ministry of Communications and Transport |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | National Autonomous University of Mexico |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | University of Hertfordshire |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | University of Leeds |
| Department | Astrophysics Group |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Mexico 2 - Tulancingo |
| Organisation | University of Manchester |
| Department | Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Leading the overall programme and transfer of technology and skills. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UK partners - technical and scientific training for Mexican partners. GES Ltd - industry and commercial links, specifically working with the Mexican partners to look at the future commercial opportunites for long-term sustainability of the programme (based on similar project started between UK academic partners and GES at the Goonhilly site). Mexican partners - develop skills and proceed with the conversion of the Tulancingo Communications antenna. The Government of the State of Hidalgo ahve provided matched funding for the project and the antennas have been donated form SCT Telcomm, in collaboration with AEM. |
| Impact | On-going project. |
| Start Year | 2017 |