Flashback to October 17th – 2013

A 195 square metre telescope reflector, which looks like a massive satellite dish, traveled from Okanagan Falls to the White Lake Observatory via helicopter.

But nearing the end of its journey, a strong wind lifted the 3-tonne dish into the supporting cables causing some damage and the dish collapsed in part into itself

It was a part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, which hopes to be the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope.

Engineers are hopeful it can be repaired on site.

Gordon Lacy, the chief engineer for the project, estimates that the carbon fibre dish is worth $300,000.