Progress update of the VGOS radio telescope at Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station

The three-year project of building a VGOS radio telescope system at the Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station, Finland, is progressing as planned. The installation site was ready for the telescope arrival with the foundation and the anchor ring for the antenna’s steel pedestal already on site by the end of 2017. The manufacturing of the telescope was completed by MT Mechatronics GmbH and it was delivered on-site in June 2018. Telescope assembly and installation was done during the summer and finalized in October 2018. The assembly of the signal chain components also moved forward. The installation and integration of the signal chain is scheduled for the spring 2019, and it is expected to have first observational tests by the end of 2019. This paper presents the latest project status and describe the next steps for the Metsähovi VGOS station.