Site

The DSA-2000 requires a 19 × 15 km flat plain with low levels of 0.7 – 2 GHz terrestrial radio frequency interference (RFI). Candidate sites for the DSA-2000 have been explored within a 50,000 km² area in central Nevada containing a number of valleys defined by a series of parallel north-south mountain ranges, including the Shoshone Mountains, Toiyabe Range, Toquima Range, and Monitor Range. These valleys are high elevation sites (~2,000m; important for tropospheric conditions) with low population density and have near-complete shielding from (ground-based) external RFI.

Environmental

The DSA-2000 project is being designed to minimize impact on the environment during construction and operation. We are working with qualified environmental experts, including WSP, TEAM Environmental, and Eco Vita, to carry out surveys of natural resources and help guide us on how to best protect the ecosystem. We are committed to avoiding areas that are found to host any sensitive resources – including cultural and tribal cultural resources, sensitive plants, or sensitive wildlife – and our site design process was created to be flexible enough to accommodate changes, including shifting positions of antennas. The relatively small size of our antennas (16-ft diameter, 25-ft height) differs from what many think of as traditional radio astronomy arrays. For example, our antennas are 5 times smaller in diameter, 25 times smaller in area, and a few hundred times smaller in weight than the antennas of the famous Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. The small size and sparse configuration (on average one antenna per 28.3 acres) represent a much lower level of environmental impact as compared to other land uses such as mining or wind/solar projects. We believe the antennas will present minimal visual impact and the majority of the antennas will not be easily visible from the nearest highway. The small size of the antennas also allows us to install them with relatively minimal impact to the environment and easily remove them at the end of the project. We will minimize the ground disturbance both during construction and operation as much as possible and anticipate minimal impact with only ~2% of the total site being disturbed during construction and less than 1% during operation. Our goal is also to be carbon neutral during the operational life of the facility.

The first prototype DSA-2000 at the OVRO Observatory.

We have recently completed two arrays in California that are pathfinders for DSA-2000. These projects used similar strategies to ensure that environmental concerns were always a priority and direct impact was minimized. We worked closely with the local Big Pine Paiute Tribe throughout the environmental review process, which confirmed that there would be no potentially significant impacts pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Additionally, we had tribal monitors on site for the entirety of construction to ensure that no previously unknown resources were identified during the installation of the array. 

We are beginning to work with the tribes, communities, and agencies in the area to ensure that we also minimize our impact on their activities and the environment. This includes valuing input from local Tribes, property owners and community members. Please feel free to reach out to our project manager, Dr. Katie Jameson (kjameson@caltech.edu), for more information, questions, or concerns about our plans.