MSNBC Highlights the ALMA Project – One of our favorite projects has made the news again!
July 5, 2012 MSNBC featured the ALMA project including footage of the telescopes and samples of images they will generate. The video shows Rock Center correspondant, Harry Smith, and astronomer, Scott Ransom, touring the observatory and discussing the types of images we can expect to see from the observatory. Fast Facts from the video:
- ALMA stands for : Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA)
- Observatory of 66 radio telescopes
- Each antenna weighs 115 tons
- It takes 6 hours to get an antenna from the base camp to the observatory plateau
- First images released October 3, 2011
- Collaborative project among: US, Canada, East Asia and Chile
- Total cost is more than $1 Billion
“The largest, most sophisticated ground based observatory every created.” – Scott Ransom
Protective Packaging’s Role in the Project
Several of the telescopes were built in the US and shipped to Chile. This journey covers thousands of miles in a variety of weather conditions, and Protective Packaging provided the solution to preserve the equipment during transit. Each and every piece arrived in pristine condition, despite weeks of exposure to oxygen, moisture, and other contaminants. None of the parts needed to be cleaned or refurbished before being put into operation. Read more about this corrosion protection case study here.