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Engaging with Indigenous communities for better outcomes

Artist’s impression of the SKA-Low telescope in Australia. These dipole antennas, which will number 131,072, will survey the radio sky in frequencies as low as 50Mhz. In the background are dishes of the ASKAP radio telescope, an SKA precursor.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area. As one of the largest scientific endeavours in history, the SKA will bring together a wealth of the world’s finest scientists, engineers and policy makers to bring the project to fruition.

The SKA will eventually use thousands of dishes and up to a million low-frequency antennas that will enable astronomers to monitor the sky in unprecedented detail and survey the entire sky much faster than any system currently in existence.

Both South Africa’s Karoo region and Western Australia’s Murchison Shire were chosen as co-hosting locations for many scientific and technical reasons. South Africa’s Karoo will host the core of the high and mid-frequency dishes, ultimately extending over the African continent and Australia’s Murchison Shire will host the low-frequency antennas.

Whilst 14 member countries are the cornerstone of the SKA, around 100 organisations across about 20 countries are participating in the design and development of the SKA. Respectful dialogue and engagement with Indigenous communities has also been a hallmark of the project, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the San Council of South Africa and SARAO and in principle support for the project from the Wajarri Yamatji people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which the SKA-Low telescope will be built.

The project is committed to working with local stakeholders, and in particular Indigenous communities, to ensure that they also benefit economically from the SKA project alongside other stakeholders nationally and internationally.

For more information visit skatelescope.org