National Radio Astronomy Observatory to Outfit the VLBA with New Ultra Wideband Receivers

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) has begun a major upgrade to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) with the development and installation of state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 to 40 gigahertz (GHz). This new technology, first prototyped by NRAO in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and tested on the NSF VLBA’s Owens Valley station, promises to significantly expand the scientific capabilities of the NSF VLBA.

NSF Facilities Partner to Transform Data Processing for Next-Generation Radio Astronomy

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with the NSF Leadership-Class Computing Facility (NSF LFFC), led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center, to pioneer a transformative data processing system for the next era of radio astronomy.

The partnership is in direct response to the astronomical data volumes anticipated from the upcoming Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) project, which is expected to produce up to 40 petabytes (PB) of data each month—orders of magnitude greater than any of the current NRAO telescopes. . This scale will place NRAO at the forefront of data-intensive scientific exploration not just in astronomy, but across the broader scientific community.

National Radio Astronomy Observatory Announces Bipartisan Capital Outlay Funding for Next Generation Learning Center

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is proud to announce a significant milestone in advancing STEAM education in rural New Mexico. This achievement is the result of dedicated advocacy by Socorro County and Associated Universities, Inc., whose efforts—combined with bipartisan support from state legislators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham—have secured $1.78 million in capital outlay funding for the Next Generation Learning Center at the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array in Socorro County.