Callisto recently carried out a study on the cryogenics options for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organization, which aims to develop the largest radio telescope in the World (see www.skatelescope.org) in order to study a wide range of scientific phenomena, including many related to the origins and early development of the Universe.
Further information and download report on
http://www.skatelescope.org/the-technology/consultancy-reports/
Located in a remote desert, either in Southern Africa or Australasia, the SKA is expected to use thousands of 15 metre diameter dishes, each equipped with multiple antenna feeds to give continuous frequency coverage from a few hundred MHz up to 10 GHz. High performance cryogenic receiver front ends will be vital to the success of the SKA; Callisto's study, which drew on experience with high reliability satellite ground station systems as well as radio astronomy, examined a range of potential technical solutions, aiming to maximize receiver sensitivity whilst keeping the overall cost of system ownership within budget.