Appendix 6B Confidential DOC: NACI/06/075B REPORT ON A Study on The Required Physical Infrastructure to attain the Vision of the NSI A P Botha and G von Gruenewaldt June 2006 Physical Infrastructure to attain the Vision of the NSI __________________________________________________ i Table of Contents Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................................................................... ii 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 2 Background.......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 3 Methodology and Approach............................................................................................................................................. 5 4 Definitions........................................................................................................................................................................... 7 5 International Infrastructure Roadmaps.......................................................................................................................... 8 5.1 United States - Facilities of the Future of Science................................................................................................... 8 5.2 Research Councils United Kingdom: Large Facilities Roadmap 2005.................................................................8 5.3 The Australian National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)........................................... 9 5.4 The European Strategy Forum of Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) ............................................................... 10 5.5 Access by South African Scientists to Large Research Infrastructure Abroad................................................. 10 5.6 Research infrastructure within an African context ................................................................................................ 11 6 Science Infrastructure...................................................................................................................................................... 12 6.1 The Science Missions.................................................................................................................................................. 12 6.1.1 Reconceptualising the Science Missions......................................................................................................... 12 6.1.2 Large scale research vs. large scale infrastructure.......................................................................................... 14 6.1.3 Policies and Strategies........................................................................................................................................ 15 6.2 Space Science................................................................................................................................................................ 16 6.2.1 Optical Astronomy............................................................................................................................................. 17 6.2.2 Radio-astronomy ................................................................................................................................................ 18 6.2.3 Cherenkov Telescope Array (HESS 2) ........................................................................................................... 18 6.2.4 Human Resource Capacity in Astronomy...................................................................................................... 19 6.2.5 Space Geodesy .................................................................................................................................................... 19 6.2.5.1 Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)............................................................................................. 20 6.2.5.2 Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR)...................................................................................................................... 20 6.2.5.3 Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) ........................................................................................................................ 20 6.2.5.4 Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers............................................................................................. 20 6.2.5.5 Future location of a Geodesy Station........................................................................................................ 21 6.2.6 Space Physics....................................................................................................................................................... 21 6.2.6.1 Low latitude HF Radar ................................................................................................................................ 22 6.2.6.2 Ionosonde ...................................................................................................................................................... 22 6.2.6.3 Dual frequency GPS receivers.................................................................................................................... 23 6.2.6.4 Smaller instrumentation............................................................................................................................... 23 6.2.6.5 Physical space requirements........................................................................................................................ 23 6.2.7 Satellite Application Centre (SAC) .................................................................................................................. 24 6.3 Biodiversity ................................................................................................................................................................... 25 6.3.1 Marine Biodiversity (Including Oceanography)............................................................................................ 27 6.3.1.1 Research Vessels ........................................................................................................................................... 29 6.3.1.2 Research Instrumentation ........................................................................................................................... 31 6.3.1.3 Modelling capacity ........................................................................................................................................ 33 6.3.1.4 Marine Aquaculture ...................................................................................................................................... 33 6.3.2 Terrestrial Biodiversity....................................................................................................................................... 33 6.3.2.1 Observation and Research Sites................................................................................................................. 34 6.3.2.2 An “Ecotron”-type Facility......................................................................................................................... 36 6.3.2.3 Other National Research Facilities ............................................................................................................ 36 6.3.2.4 Biobanks......................................................................................................................................................... 38 6.3.2.5 Natural History Collections ........................................................................................................................ 41 6.3.2.6 Specialised Analytical Equipment .............................................................................................................. 42 6.3.2.7 Some impediments to conducting terrestrial biodiversity research ..................................................... 44 Physical Infrastructure to attain the Vision of the NSI __________________________________________________ ii 6.4 Antarctica and Southern Ocean................................................................................................................................ 45 6.4.1 SA Agulhas and SANAE IV............................................................................................................................. 46 6.4.2 The HF Radar Facility and connectivity......................................................................................................... 48 6.4.3 Prince Edward Islands....................................................................................................................................... 49 6.4.3.1 Research Infrastructure, Marion Island Base:.......................................................................................... 49 6.4.3.2 Landscape Dynamics (Instrumented landscape).....................................................................................49 6.4.4 A National Facility for Marine and Antarctic Research .............................................................................. 50 6.5 Earth Science...............................................................................................................................................................