A telescope built to unlock cosmic mysteries :Misconduct Claims Hit €2bn Global Telescope Project
The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), one of the world’s most ambitious scientific projects, is facing allegations of financial mismanagement after a whistleblower claimed millions in public funds were mishandled.The €2bn initiative, designed to build the largest radio telescope ever attempted across remote sites in Australia and South Africa, has been hailed as a groundbreaking effort to unlock mysteries of the early universe. But internal disclosures suggest the organisation managing contributions from 16 member states is now under investigation.
According to documents seen by reporters, at least £12m (A$25m) may have been lost in risky investments, with further claims of accounting irregularities and concealed currency losses. The SKAO, headquartered in the UK at Jodrell Bank Observatory, has denied wrongdoing but confirmed that an independent external review is underway.
“The organisation is taking all necessary actions,” SKAO chair Filippo Maria Zerbi wrote in an internal email in May, acknowledging the allegations while insisting further checks were needed before conclusions could be drawn.
Australia, a major funder of the project, has already seen its commitments rise well above initial forecasts. Government budget papers show Canberra has spent $475m between 2021 and 2025, exceeding the original 2020 estimate by $164m. Officials cited exchange rate fluctuations, cost overruns, and additional commitments to local communities near the telescope site.
Further complications have arisen from infrastructure delays. Despite public statements describing solar-powered operations, the Australian site is currently running on diesel generators. Tender documents indicate a permanent power supply may not be completed until 2028, with interim diesel costs already exceeding $1m a year.
The whistleblower also pointed to a European Commission grant of €5m, part of which was later clawed back after auditors judged several costs ineligible. Ultimately, €2.5m was recognised, with the remainder returned.
While project leaders maintain that the scope of building two of the world’s most advanced telescopes inevitably involves budget adjustments, internal updates suggest a “programme and schedule risk review” is ongoing, with possible reductions in scope to close funding gaps.
A SKAO spokesperson dismissed suggestions of capital losses, stressing that all financial activities are subject to regular audits. “Money market funds are inherently low-risk,” the spokesperson said, adding that reductions in balances reflected withdrawals to meet operating costs.
Despite the turbulence, the project remains on track to expand operations over the next decade. When fully operational, the Square Kilometre Array will deploy more than 130,000 antennae in Western Australia and thousands of dishes in South Africa, offering unprecedented insight into the early cosmos and potentially answering one of humanity’s oldest questions: are we alone in the universe?
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