英国赢得平方公里阵列射电望远镜永久总部国竞选

2015年4月29日，平方公里阵列射电望远镜（Square Kilometre Array,SKA）组织第七届成员大会通过决议，确定英国曼彻斯特大学Jodrell Bank天文台作为SKA未来永久总部所在地。

2014年，SKA组织邀请各成员国竞选永久总部国，随后共收到意大利和英国两份提案。经SKA评估小组评估，两份提案均满足了总部国的要求。经过各成员国慎重考虑，在投票后选择了英国作为SKA的总部国。

会后，SKA组织总干事菲利普高度赞赏了英国和意大利为积极参与SKA所做出的努力和贡献，并表示总部国的确立对SKA是一个重要的时刻，将为SKA组织发展成为政府间国际组织，以及2018年SKA项目的正式开工铺平道路。

SKA组织在其官网对此重大决议进行了报道，详情如下：

World’s Largest Radio Telescope Has A Permanent Home For Its Headquarters

SKA Organisation headquarters, Jodrell Bank, UK - At their meeting yesterday Wednesday 29 April, the Members of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organisation decided that negotiations should start with the UK government to locate the permanent headquarters of the SKA project in the UK, at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank site.

Jodrell Bank houses the headquarters of the multinational SKA project for the current pre-construction phase. These premises will eventually be expanded to support the project as it transitions into the construction phase.

“I am delighted that a permanent home for the SKA headquarters has been identified”, said Professor Philip Diamond, Director General of the SKA Organisation. “Clarity over the location of the headquarters is an important step for SKA, ahead of international negotiations to form an inter-governmental organisation and the beginning of construction in 2018.”

The process for selecting the permanent headquarters began in 2014 when, following an agreed plan, Members were invited to submit bids. Two bids were received, from Italy and the United Kingdom, both of which were judged to be excellent and both suitable for the project’s needs. After thorough consideration, the Members of the SKA Organisation expressed their preference for the United Kingdom’s Jodrell Bank site as the future home for the SKA headquarters, thanks to the strong package offered by the UK government.

The UK plan, backed by the UK government via the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the University of Manchester and Cheshire East Council, as well as Oxford and Cambridge Universities, envisages designing and constructing a unique campus for one of the most inspirational science projects of the 21st Century. The headquarters will be constructed to meet the needs of the SKA project and there is space to grow if the project requires it in the future.

Members thanked the Italian government for submitting such a compelling bid, which demonstrates the very high profile the project has acquired in Italy. The SKA Director General and the SKA Board will work with Italian representatives to ensure that the high visibility and political support for the project in Italy can continue to maximise Italy’s engagement in the project.

“Italy has been a key partner of the SKA since the early stages of the project”, said Professor Diamond. “I am confident they will maintain a high level of engagement on all fronts and I look forward to working with them as well as with all the other partner countries as we move into the next phase of the SKA.”