| Description: | Last month, the SKA Science & Engineering Committee (SSEC) met at the Int. SKA Forum 2011, this year held in Banff, Canada. The SSEC discussed many important issues, including potential "split-site" solutions and the relation between the SKA precursors (ASKAP & MeerKAT) and the SKA Phase 1. In addition, the new site selection process, the contours of which were approved by both the SSEC and the SKA Founding Board, were also discussed. Currently, the candidate sites are busy with the submission of information to the SPDO (SKA Project Development Office), information that will be analysed by independent consultants and various expert advisory panels.
The SKA Site Advisory Committee (SSAC), an external body of independent experts appointed by the SSEC and FB, will evaluate the findings of this analysis and submit their own report to the SKA Board of Directors around the end of the year. The SKA Governing Board will be formed once the new SKA legal entity is established - probably some time in October. The Governing Board is expected to make and announce the final decision on the location of the SKA core site at the end of the first quarter, 2012. |
