The headquarters for a new £1.3bn project to build the world’s biggest radio telescope will be based in Cheshire at the Jodrell Bank Observatory.
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is designed to answer some key questions about the universe. Instead of a single radio dish 1km across, it will be made up of thousands of smaller ones. Its location is undecided but could be built in Australia or Southern Africa.
The Jodrell Bank observatory has been responsible for some major astronomical discoveries since its establishment after the Second World War, but there have been doubts over its future in recent years due to constant funding worries. This new venture should create over 60 jobs in the next four years.