FIELD TRIP
South Africa’s radio astronomy journey from deep space to discovery
Field trip date: 5 December 2025
Organisation: SARAO
City: Johannesburg
Tour capacity: 20 people
Health, safety or general restrictions and terms and conditions
Please find below the necessary requirements regarding safety, radio frequency interference (RFI) protocols, and equipment for your site access.
Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality (SHEQ)
For safety purposes, please wear safety boots or closed, comfortable shoes while on site. Please also remember that an indemnity form must be signed before traveling to the site.
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) Protocols
To prevent RFI, note that cell phones and other personal devices with Bluetooth and WIFI capabilities will not be allowed on site. If you bring a cell phone to the site, these should be in ‘Airplane Mode’ and switched off.
Equipment and Camera Access
If you plan to bring cameras or other equipment onto the site, the specifications *must* be submitted for approval before your access can be granted. The equipment should then be tested by the SARAO Radio Frequency Interference team. For this to happen, we need the specifications of all equipment by WEDNESDAY 19 November 2025. Once received, the lists will be evaluated, and equipment will possibly need to be tested in our RFI chamber. From there, permits will be issued depending on the restrictions imposed on us.
HartRAO site (Johannesburg) has local regulations that may be communicated upon arrival insofar as personal safety and RFI considerations are concerned.
Explore HartRAO, South Africa’s window to the universe, pioneering radio astronomy, space geodesy, and deep space tracking
A guided tour of the facility exploring South Africa’s key milestones in radio astronomy, tracing the site’s evolution from its origins as a Deep Space Station in the 1960s, through its transition to radio astronomy research in the 1970s, and its later development as a co-location site for radio astronomy and geodesy.
The tour also highlights the role of the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), South Africa’s premier radio astronomy facility, renowned for its contributions to space geodesy, deep space tracking, and global radio astronomy research.
Visitors will gain insight into both the historical significance and the ongoing scientific contributions of these sites.
Itinerary
Times to be confirmed:
Pick up at CSIR ICC
Transfer from Pretoria to the HartRAO site (1 hour 45 minutes)
Rest of the programme includes:
Welcome and overview of HartRAO and SARAO’s broader role in radio astronomy
Presentations:
– Importance of HartRAO as a site of co-location
– Hosting Astronomy and Geodesy research infrastructure
– Engineering process that keeps the facility functional
– Need for self-sufficiency in terms of technical teams and workshops.
Tour of the facility:
– Control Room
– 26 Metre Dish
– 12 Metre eXperimental Demonstrator Model (XDM) Dish
– Geodesy instruments and Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) stations
Q&A session
Drop-off