Contec and National Space Centre to progress restoration of 32-metre satellite dish in Midleton
National Space Centre, Cork and Contec Space Group of South Korea, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the refurbishment and return to operation of the iconic 32-metre antenna known as The Big Dish at Elfordstown Earthstation in Cork.
Commissioned by Eutelsat in conjunction with Telecom Éireann in 1984, The Big Dish was intended to host transatlantic communications between Europe and North America. It was decommissioned in the 1990s with the advent of underwater fibre optic links.
However, there is fresh demand for such large dishes worldwide as they can be repurposed for deep-space tracking, radio astronomy, and advanced communications has seen them get a second life as part of the space economy.
There are fewer than 100 large dishes of this class remaining worldwide and under thirty are estimated to be in active use. But there are an increasing range of uses for large satellite dishes, along with a demand for the technical capability they can provide.
Contec will provide expert consultancy and guidance throughout the restoration. The South Korean company, is a renowned global leader in space communications and brings deep-space mission support expertise and experience operating large-aperture antennas.
Rory Fitzpatrick, CEO of National Space Centre, said: “This big dish in Midleton is part of European space heritage, but it has been idle since 1997. In 2024, we kickstarted the preservation of the dish with the Save the Big Dish campaign on Go Fund Me, to stop the continuing degradation of the 32-metre dish. Now this MOU with Contec will form the foundation for the next step towards restoration. Bringing The Big Dish back into service to support international science and space collaborations is our goal and we welcome Dr Sunghee Lee and Contec on board for this mission. Their expertise in this area will be invaluable.”
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