The UA's Mount Graham International Observatory is getting a new communication antenna to replace the one that's more than 10 years old.
The new 40-foot mono-pole will offer scientists higher bandwidth at lower power and relay signals in a single shot instead of using a second tower, said Peter Strittmatter, director of the University of Arizona Steward Observatory, which oversees the Mount Graham observatory.
The nearly three-year process was led by the U.S. Forest Service, Strittmatter said.
"The whole purpose is to have something that is more reliable, performs better, uses less power and enables us and our partners to communicate scientific results to two continents," Strittmatter said.
Mount Graham is home to the UA's $120 million Large Binocular Telescope, which has twin 8.4-meter mirrors and is the world's most advanced optical telescope.
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"With the LBT coming online, we need to be able to send more data, so we went through the process working with the Forest Service and other stakeholders," Strittmatter said.
