Ramping up to the square kilometre array: a 1000m/sup 2/ aperture array prototype

Absrmr For the first time, ASTRON demonstrated the capabilities ofa 4m', dense phased array antennas for Radio Astronomy, under the Thousand Element Array project (THEA). Althougb it proved the principle, due to the limited collecting area of only 4m', a defmite answer on the viability of the dense phased array principle for the SKA could not be given. Therefore a larger demonstrator has been defined, know as "Electronic Multi-Beam Radio Astronomy Concept"; EMBRACE. EMBRACE will be between 500 1000 square metre phased array antenna in the baud 010.4 1.5 GHz. It will have at least 2 in dependable steerahle beams and with this sue it can function as radio astronomy instrument comparable to a 25 m diameter dish. Furthermore the collecting area now represents a significant (-10%) of an individual SKA "station". This paper will present the astronomical measured results of the Thousand Element Array, as the precursor to the detailed plans for EMBRACE. For the realization of EMBRACE a European SKA Design Study Consortium has been formed and a proposal has been submitted to the European Community, under its Sixth Framework (FP6). Research program.