The Onsala Twin Telescopes Project

Conference poster, 2017

The Onsala Space Observatory is the European site in the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) that has the longest history in VLBI. First geodetic VLBI measurements were performed already in 1968 with the 25 m radio telescope. Onsala is today one of the sites with the longest time series in the IVS data base. The observatory is one of the unique fundamental space geodetic sites that have a direct access to the coast line and co-locate VLBI, GNSS, gravimetry, and sea-level monitoring. Onsala is thus an important co-location site for the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). Being well aware of the VGOS standard it was clear around 2010 that Onsala was in need for a telescope with significantly faster slew rates than the existing radome-enclosed 20 m telescope.