Long Wavelength Array

The Long Wavelength Array (LWA) is a radio telescope in New Mexico which began preliminary operation in 2012 and regular operation in 2015. It is the work of a collaboration of institutions that includes the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). Plans are to locate additional antennas at multiple sites capable of aperture synthesis: an initial long-term goal was 53 sites within or near New Mexico. The initial site, LWA1, consists of array of 256 dipole antennas located adjacent to the Very Large Array (VLA). Plans have been that some additional sites would essentially duplicate LWA1 at other locations, while other additional sites would be smaller. A project called LWA-Swarm consists of the development and deployment of smaller sites of 64-antennas that could be deployed in conjunction with cooperating universities. Additional sites currently in operation or development:

• LWA-SV (Long Wavelength Array - Sevilleta) with 256 antennas, about 75 km northeast of LWA1, which began operation in 2016.
• LWA-NA (Long Wavelength Array - North Arm) LWA-Swarm site, with 64 antennas, about 22 km north of LWA1, which began operation in 2024.
• LWA-MC (Long Wavelength Array - Meteor Crater) with 256 antennas, about 329 km north of LWA1, which was slated for completion in 2026.
• LWA-CS (Long Wavelength Array - Comanche Spring, Texas), I believe planned to have 64 antennas, about 727 km east of LWA1; I'm not sure of its deployment's current status.

Additionally, an upgrade to some electronics of all the existing stations has been carried out over 2025-2026.

Note that a similar radio telescope is the Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA), which began as a duplicate of LWA1 located at Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) in California. Possibly it has been used in collaboration with the LWA.