A Big Science Secretariat member wins contract to help design the world's largest telescope

	The Big Science Secretariat informs Danish enterprises about the opportunities to enter into contracts with major European research facilities (big science facilities). The secretariat offers support, among other things, by establishing competence groups and providing knowledge of tendering processes. BSS also supports the formation of consortia through matchmaking between Danish companies or Danish and foreign companies and knowledge institutions in connection with the specific tasks of big science facilities. BSS is a collaboration between Risø DTU, Danish Technological Institute and FORCE Technology. BSS is supported by the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation.

Kirkholm, a mechanical engineering company, signed a contract in September 2011 with ESO, European Southern Observatory. During the next four months, the company will prepare specification requirements and two possible concepts (including time estimates and financial estimates) for the coming giant telescope E-ELT's so-called "Prefocal station". Kirkholm will thus be influencing the design of one the key components of the telescope before the order is released as an industrial tender.
 
Kjeld-Bruno Pedersen, Managing Director of Kirkholm, is pleased with the support of the Big Science Secretariat in connection with the company’s pursuit of ESO contracts: ”Having an organisation like BSS behind you, is incredibly important for Danish companies in order to help them market their competences to the relevant people in the big science organisations."

Prefocal station (PFS) is a central part of the huge telescope, which will have a main mirror of 39 metres in diameter. PFS plays two roles: one is to receive light from the telescope and spread it to the scientific instruments; the other is to contain the instruments that control the direction and the advanced adaptive optics of the telescope.

E-ELT will be placed in Armazones in the Atacama desert of Chile, which offers exceptionally good conditions for making astronomical observations. It is expected that ”first light” – the first astronomical observations – will take place in 2018. The telescope is expected to have a lifespan of 30-50 years. 

Read more on the website of BSS (in Danish)
Learn more about BSS at www.bigscience.dk (in Danish)
Find out how your company can become a member of BSS (in Danish)