Alien news: UK to become hub of international extraterrestrial hunting effort

Dr Catherine Cesarsky, Chair of the SKA Board of Directors, added “Rome wasn’t built in a day. Likewise, designing, building and operating the world’s biggest telescope takes decades of efforts, expertise, innovation, perseverance, and global collaboration.

“Today we’ve laid the foundations that will enable us to make the SKA a reality.”

Prof Philip Diamond, Director-General of the SKA Organisation which has led the design of the telescope added: “Like Galileo’s telescope in its time, the SKA will revolutionise how we understand the world around us and our place in it.

“The historic signature shows a global commitment behind this vision, and opens up the door to generations of ground-breaking discoveries.”