The Korea Aerospace Administration is expressing its intention to participate in the "Square Kilometre Array (SKA)" project, which involves constructing the largest radio telescope in human history.
The administration plans to announce its intention to participate in the project at the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) board meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, on the 18th.
The SKA telescope, being constructed in Australia and South Africa, boasts superior resolution, observation speed, and sensitivity compared to existing radio telescopes. It is expected to observe faint radio signals from the early universe and answer fundamental questions about the universe’s origins and the search for extraterrestrial life.
The administration decided to participate in the project to ensure domestic industries are involved in the SKA construction and to prioritize securing SKA data. It aims to obtain full membership.
Kang Kyung-in, head of the Space Science Exploration Division of the Korea Aerospace Administration, noted, "Through this participation, the Korea Aerospace Administration will actively support domestic astronomers in producing world-class research achievements and contribute to the leap toward becoming a space power." He added, "I hope we can contribute to solving core challenges in modern astronomy, such as the origins of the universe and the search for extraterrestrial life, through research utilizing SKA data."