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NSF NRAO Hosts SpectrumX Field Experiment at the Very Large Array

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NSF NRAO Hosts SpectrumX Field Experiment at the Very Large Array

A group of people stand in front of an antenna of the Very Large Array
Researchers who participated in the NSF SpectrumX field experiment stand in front of a VLA antenna. Credit: NSF/Spectrum X

The U. S. National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) recently collaborated with NSF SpectrumX, the Spectrum Innovation Center, to host a large-scale spectrum research experiment at the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF VLA) in New Mexico.

This week-long effort, conducted in July 2025, brought together researchers, students, and experts from across academia, government, and industry to study spectrum usage in the 7.125 to 7.4 GHz band—frequencies of increasing importance to both science and emerging sixth-generation (6G) communications. Because of the unique sensitivity of the NSF VLA, the experiment provided a vital opportunity to explore how future spectrum allocations may affect radio astronomy and other passive scientific applications. Read the full release.

About NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Contact:
Corrina C. Jaramillo Feldman, Senior Public Information Officer
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
[email protected]
(505) 366-7267
public.nrao.edu

About SpectrumX

SpectrumX is funded by the NSF as part of its Spectrum Innovation Initiative, under grant number AST 21-32700. SpectrumX is the world’s largest academic hub where all radio spectrum stakeholders can innovate, collaborate, and contribute to maximizing social welfare of this precious resource.

To learn more about SpectrumX, please visit spectrumx.org.

Contact:
Stephanie Loney, Research Communications Specialist
NSF SpectrumX / Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame
[email protected] / 574.631.7804
spectrumx.org

This news article was originally published on the NRAO website on September 2, 2025.

Recent News

Women and Girls in Astronomy Program Now Accepting Applications

The Women and Girls in Astronomy Program (WGAP), led by Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), under the North American Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (NA-ROAD) has been awarded a three-year grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to expand its impact.

Most Close Pairs of Stars Are Born as Cosmic Twins

A new study of infant stars in the Perseus and Orion star-forming regions suggests that most close pairs of stars are born as twins in the same disk, rather than drifting together later from larger distances.