New Danish instruments will give scientists new eyes on the Universe

Danish companies and universities will over the next five years develop advanced instruments for the world's leading astronomical telescopes. The Innovation Fund Denmark invests 35 million DKK in the project. 

Danish companies and universities unite forces to develop advanced instruments for some of the world’s leading ground-based astronomical telescopes. Over the next five years, the collaboration will strengthen Danish research and industry – and help answer some of the biggest questions about the Universe.  

Innovation Fond Denmark has invested 35 million DKK in the project through the Grand Solutions-programme. 

The new instruments will give researchers new opportunities to study planets around other stars, understand stellar explosions, and shed light on the evolution of the Universe. 

The project brings together VST Industries and Kirkholm Maskiningeniører in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, Aarhus University, and the Danish Technological Institute. 

“Developing instruments for the world’s largest telescopes places extremely high demands on technology, precision, and collaboration. With this project, Denmark can contribute directly to groundbreaking international research – while also training the next generation of researchers and engineers,” says Lise Christensen, Associate Professor at the Cosmic Dawn Center, Niels Bohr Institute. 

Danish contribution to the largest telescope in the world 

A central element of the project is the Danish contribution to the ANDES instrument, which will be installed at the largest telescope in the world, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction in Chile by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). 

As part of this effort, VST Industries and Kirkholm Maskiningeniører are developing and manufacturing two large precision vacuum chambers for the instrument’s sensitive components. The chambers must operate under extremely demanding conditions, including ultra-high vacuum environments, high thermal stability, and resistance to earthquakes. 

The Niels Bohr Institute is responsible for testing and verifying the components to ensure they meet international requirements, while the Danish Technological Institute is working to highlight the competencies of Danish companies within astrophysics and so-called “Big Science”. 

New instrument for the Nordic Optical Telescope 

The project also includes the development of a new instrument for the Nordic Optical Telescope at La Palma:  NOT Transient Explorer (NTE). The instrument will have a near-infrared camera which makes it possible to observe short and time-variable phenomena in the Universe that cannot be seen with ordinary visible light. 

Strengthens industry, research and talent development 

The project creates values at multiple levels: 

• Industry: Danish companies gain experience with high-technology international research projects, strengthening their competitiveness. 

• Research: Danish scientists are placed at the forefront of modern astrophysics 

• Education and talent-development: The project helps attract and train new talent within natural science and engineering. 

About the partners 

VST Industries A/S 

A manufacturing company specialising in welded constructions where development, design, quality assurance, extensive documentation, traceability, CE marking, and related requirements are essential. VST Industries is certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 3834, EN 1090, Module D, and is approved for manufacturing materials intended for food contact, among others. In close collaboration with customers and partners, VST Industries participates in and advises on identifying the most optimal design and manufacturing methods. 

Kirkholm Maskiningeniører A/S 

An engineering company with 25 years of experience in mechanical solutions and advanced R&D. The company develops robust products and machinery solutions for industrial production and has, through expertise and simulations, created innovative and intelligent solutions for industry. Kirkholm’s core competencies include machine and plant design, advanced simulations (FEA and CFD), mechanical design, and project management of technical engineering projects from concept to implementation. 

Danish Technological Institute  

Through the BigScience.dk team, the Danish Technological Institute leads the technical promotion of VST Industries and Kirkholm Maskiningeniører towards the international Big Science market, including CERN, ESS, ESA, and other astronomical instrumentation projects. In addition, DTI ensures knowledge sharing with other Danish companies. 

University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, and the Technical University of Denmark 

Researchers and technical staff at the three universities participate in planning and testing of the instruments, in collaboration with international partner institutes from Germany (Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam) and Switzerland (University of Geneva), and at the Nordic Optical Telescope. 

Contact 

Lise B. Christensen, Lektor, Cosmic Dawn Center, Niels Bohr Institute 
e-mail: lichrist@nbi.ku.dk 

Facts

• Innovation Fund Denmark Investment: 35 MDKK 
• Total budget: 47 MDKK 
• Duration: 5 years 
• Official project title: Innovative Spectrograph for the Future of Danish Astronomy