Abstract
The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is commissioning two complementary next-generation radio telescopes: SKA-Low in Australia (50–350MHz) and SKA-Mid in South Africa (350MHz–15.4GHz). Once completed, they will be the most sensitive facilities in their frequency ranges. SKA-Low is undergoing its first Array Assembly (AA) phase, referred to as AA1, currently with 14 (out of 16) stations available for science commissioning and enabling stability tests, calibration development, beamforming validation, pulsar detections, sensitivity measurements, and first interferometric images. SKA-Mid has achieved the first interferometric fringes milestone and is entering its AA0.5 phase: four dishes undergoing commissioning, focusing on interferometric and single-dish validation, calibration, and system stability. We present an overview of science commissioning highlights from both telescopes and briefly discuss the next steps in preparation for the AA2 Science Verification phase, when first science-ready data products will be released. This will be a major milestone in the delivery of transformational science.
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