A FAREHAM Firm is helping to advance the search to find the origins of the universe.

Fareham-based engineering firm Aqua Cooling, have supplied air blast radiators in a multi-million dollar astronomical observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

The discovery is part of a take to the skies initiative where telescopes are brought in to search the skies for a particular type of cosmic wave that experts believe was created immediately after the Big Bang.

The facility is positioned 5,200m above sea level and is one of the highest observatories in the world manned by a team of researchers from several US universities including the University of California, San Diego, alongside several international partners.

Nathan Stebor of the University of California, one of several universities that are working on the project, said: “The original experiment has been running off an Aqua radiator for more than five years.

“We needed more radiators to accommodate the new receivers coming online for the Simons Array and Aqua’s solution was perfect in terms of simplicity and compatibility.”

Matt Goodman, a Director of Aqua Cooling, added: “Playing a part in the fascinating work going on at the James Ax Observatory demonstrates the versatility of our chilling equipment and our ability to deliver projects in some of the most remote areas of the world.”