Successful First Test of the Small-Sized Telescopes with the Array Control and Data Acquisition Software 

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On 21–22 April, experts from the CTAO Central Organisation and the Small-Sized Telescope (SST) Collaboration successfully established the first direct communication between the telescope structure and the Array Control and Data Acquisition (ACADA) software. As the central system that will eventually send commands to operate both CTAO telescope arrays, conducting integration tests between ACADA and the telescope is a critical pre-shipment milestone to minimise potential compatibility risks before the SSTs are delivered to the remote CTAO-South site in Chile.  … Continued

Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning  of CTAO-South Array Construction in Chile 

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Paranal, Chile, 17 December 2025 — Representatives from the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and governmental authorities gathered today to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the CTAO’s southern site, CTAO-South. After years of successful site preparations, the event marked the beginning of construction on the telescope foundations, paving the way for … Continued

Small-Sized Telescopes Pass Readiness Review to Proceed to Factory Testing

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On 2–3 December, the CTAO Central Organisation’s Telescope team visited the facilities of the Italian company Dal Ben, located in the Veneto region, to conduct the Test Readiness Review (TRR) for the electromechanical structure of the Small-Sized Telescope (SST). After the CTAO SST Collaboration completed the integration of the first SST telescope at the facility, … Continued

CTAO-US Teams Awarded Nearly $4 Million NSF Grant to Develop Small-Sized Telescope Cameras

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The U.S. teams involved in the development of the CTAO have been awarded a $3.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to contribute to building and installing ten cameras for the Small-Sized Telescopes (SSTs). Led by the Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the funds will provide light detectors … Continued

Small-Sized Telescope Structure Advances to Serial Production 

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On 5 June, a delegation from the CTAO SST Collaboration and the CTAO Central Organisation’s Telescope team visited the facilities of the Italian company Dal Ben, located in the Veneto region, to inspect the progress of the Small-Sized Telescope (SST) electromechanical structures’ production. In a significant step forward, the SST structures have now officially entered … Continued

The CTAO Enters a New Phase of Growth

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Bologna, Italy – On Thursday, 18 April, during the closing session of the CTAO Science Symposium at Teatro Duse in Bologna, the Managing Director of the CTAO, Dr. Stuart McMuldroch, officially announced the Observatory’s new phase of growth. Supported by the 30M Euro endorsement by the CTAO’s governing bodies in September 2023, this new period … Continued

CTAO Releases the Layout of its Arrays for the Alpha Configuration

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The CTAO released the final layouts that define the geographical position of the elements (telescopes, calibration systems and atmospheric characterization devices) that will compose the two CTAO arrays according to the approved Alpha Configuration. The particular configuration is the result of a thorough optimization process meant to maximize the scientific performance of the two CTAO arrays.