Radio astronomy: The Next 70-Year Step

Abstract

Some attempts to predict a very distant future of radio astronomy arepresented. It is not easy to foresee a list of the first priorityproblems which may appear, but the potential of research facilities ismore predictable. It is suggested that in addition to the “dedicatedfor radio astronomy” facilities, the instrumentation of radioastronomy may be extended greatly by integration with the nextgeneration “standard living” facilities, integrated viaPeople-to-People communications through global networks and byincorporating of the “natural facilities", such as gravitationallenses, maser amplification in the ISM etc. As an example of theextreme cases of the 10⁹ m² class of the new generation RadioTelescopes, utilization of the personal dipole-size communicationfacilitiy by a SKA-type instrument and an array formed by asteroids'first “Frehnel zones” will be mentioned. The latter radio astronomytool together with optical facilities will be extremely useful inexploration of the z>10 Universe. The reality of all predictionsdepend mostly on the way the Civilization will prefer to develop:“ahead, to HOMO SAPIENCE” or “back, to PRIMATES”.