SKA Observatory joins UN space body

In September, the SKA Observatory was accepted as a permanent observer on the United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS).

As the only UN committee dedicated exclusively to space matters, COPUOS provides a unique international platform to facilitate space cooperation between UN Member States. The committee serves as a forum to monitor and discuss developments on the exploration and use of outer space, technical advancements in space exploration, geopolitical changes, and the evolving use of space science and technology for sustainable development.

One area of the committee’s work that the SKAO is particularly focused on is protecting radio astronomy from the potential threat of radio frequency interference (RFI) posed by satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (read our feature story in Contact 08). The Observatory has been heavily engaged in international efforts to find solutions to this growing issue, in particular as a Sector Member of another UN body, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This is the UN’s specialised agency responsible for allocating use of the radio spectrum.

The SKAO joins fellow intergovernmental organisations the European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory as well as the International Astronomical Union as permanent observers.

by Mathieu Isidro (SKAO)