Canadian research council leads one-of-a-kind technology development

The NRC and MDA Space, a Canadian aerospace company, developed the correlator/beamformer, a powerful data processing engine that will collect and process large volumes of data from the SKA-Mid telescope. Using state-of-the-art embedded computing technologies, SKAO’s signals will be processed thousands of times faster than average computer download speeds, giving scientists rapid access to vast quantities of new data and insight about the universe.

“Projects of this size, scope and significance present a unique opportunity to showcase the expertise and innovation of Canadian astronomers, astrophysicists and industry while driving new discoveries and advancements in science and technology,” said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space.

Building on decades of expertise, Canada is also providing the full complement of cryogenic low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) for the SKA-Mid Band 2 receivers. Known for their exceptional performance, the NRC developed the LNAs that were then manufactured by the Canadian company, NANOWAVE Technologies Inc. (NANOWAVE).

Each SKA-Mid dish must be able to receive extremely faint astronomical signals that are over a million times weaker than what a typical mobile phone tower transmits. To achieve this, the dish system must keep its own noise as low as possible. Without a high-quality low noise amplifier, the distant astronomical signals would be obscured in the background noise, making it difficult to extract any meaningful information.

Working together since 1997, the NRC and NANOWAVE produced the LNAs for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and for the SKA precursor MeerKAT, which will be incorporated into SKA-Mid. Working on these projects with the NRC helped NANOWAVE develop the expertise to successfully expand into new markets.

“Our collaboration with the NRC’s Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre is an excellent example of how NRC-developed technology enables Canadian companies to compete in markets where technological innovation and manufacturing expertise results in internationally competitive advantages,” said Justin Miller, CEO of NANOWAVE. 

NRC experts worked with NANOWAVE’s engineers to develop repeatable fabrication and test cryogenic LNAs. The cryogenic LNAs manufactured by NANOWAVE are recognized as among the best in the world and are the only Canadian company capable of manufacturing the technology.

Canadian companies, like MDA Space and NANOWAVE, have benefitted from knowledge transfer to develop ultra-specialized technologies. The investment in large scale astronomy projects, like SKA, has increased Canada’s global competitiveness in the aerospace and satellite sectors.