Having started as a trainee radio telescope technician some 40 years ago, Clive Shaw is now the Chief Mechanical Workshop Technician at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO), five miles south-west of Cambridge, at Lord’s Bridge.
One day I can be attending meetings to discuss new projects in the pipeline or building new telescopes abroad, and then another day I can be involved in the cryogenics of telescope receivers, no two days are the same.
He is in charge of the team supporting Cavendish Astrophysicists in the design of highly sensitive receivers and computer software for telescope control and image analysis.
We asked Clive to go back over his 40-year career at the Observatory and to tell us more about his current work and the perks of the job.
“I started working at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (MRAO) on 3rd August 1981, as a trainee radio telescope technician. Having completed City and Guilds qualifications in Mechanical engineering, Welding and Electrical installation and awarded apprentice of the year worked my way up to Chief Mechanical Workshop Technician, in charge of the site workshop.
“This year sees me celebrating my 40th year of working at the Observatory, where I now supervise the day-to-day operational running of the 400-acre site and a team of three radio telescope technicians. Along with this I am also responsible for any ‘out of hours’ breaches of site security and urgent technical issues with the radio telescopes.
“I love how varied my job role is, one day I can be attending meetings to discuss new projects in the pipeline or building new telescopes abroad, such as VSA in Tenerife and then another day I can be involved in the cryogenics of telescope receivers, no two days are the same. I particularly enjoy the challenges working with radio telescopes and employing novel approaches when dealing with engineering and mechanical issues.
“Currently, I am involved in the development work of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)/Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) projects, linked to the SKA South African site, where an array of up to 350 14m diameter antennas will study the Universe between 50-250MHz.
“When I am not busy looking after the observatory, where I have resided with my wife and family for the last 27 years, I enjoy restoring MK1 Ford Escorts cars and am currently doing a total rebuild on a MK1 RS2000. I am also an avid radio controlled model craft builder and flyer. I am also looking forward to being able to travel abroad again and revisiting one of my favourite places, Barcelona.”
Commenting on Clive’s amazing achievement, Paul Alexander, professor of Astrophysics who leads the Radio Astronomy work said:
Clive has always been at the centre of all the work we have done at the observatory since he joined and without doubt his expertise and commitment have been central to the many major successes we have had over the years. He’s a wonderful team player and has become a friend to many, many of us as well."