The first ALMA Antenna

17 September, 2009 / Read time: 1 minute

This video shows part of the verification and transportation process of the first antenna to form part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) on the Chajnantor Plateau. This 12-meter antenna was designed and built by partners of 

the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO). The images presented here date back to December 2008, when the Japanese antenna was set up, tested and accepted at the Operations Support Facility (OSF), and then transported to the Antenna Array Operations Site (AOS) at 5,000 meters above sea level. 

Finally, the images show the antenna being transported by Otto, one of the only two giant trucks in the world specifically designed for this task, and the celebration of those who participated in this milestone in ALMA’s history.

Credits: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)