manufactured to a surface accuracy of better than 50 µm RMS. The actuators adjust the panel positions to compensate for sagging, or bending under its own weight, which changes as the telescope moves. Without this so-called "active surface" adjustment, observations at frequencies above 4 GHz would not be as efficient.

Unusual for a radio telescope, the primary reflector is an off-axis segment of a paraboloid. This is the same design used in smaller