France has officially become the 14th member state of the SKA Observatory (SKAO), marking a major milestone for the world’s largest radio astronomy project. The accession strengthens the Observatory’s international partnership and reflects France’s long-standing commitment to SKA through scientific expertise, advanced computing, and industrial contributions. French institutions play leading roles in SKA science, exascale computing, and data processing, while national facilities such as NenuFAR and the Nançay Radio Telescope contribute to SKA-related research. France’s membership further reinforces Europe’s role in preparing the SKA telescopes for early science operations. Read the full SKAO press release here.
Image: The French flag flying outside SKAO Global Headquarters in the UK. Credit: SKAO