Projects | SKA-Low Telescope, Murchison, Australia

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Aurecon is contributing to construction of one of the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescopes, the SKA Observatory’s SKA-Low telescope in Western Australia.

The international SKA Observatory (SKAO) is responsible for the global science and engineering effort to build two of the world’s largest radio telescopes: the SKA-Low telescope in Australia and the SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa. Experts from more than a dozen countries are working together to design and deliver the two SKA telescopes. It is one of the most complex science projects ever conceived to design this next-generation radio observatory that will revolutionise our understanding of the Universe and drive technological development worldwide.

In Australia, the SKAO is collaborating with CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, to build and operate the SKA-Low telescope. Aurecon has been sub-contracted by CSIRO to manage the delivery of the site infrastructure, power distribution, and on-site computing buildings for the SKA-Low telescope, which is being built at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in the Mid West region of Western Australia, on Wajarri Yamaji Country.

As part of this program of work, Aurecon is providing dedicated risk management advice covering infrastructure construction works on site and delivering mitigation strategies for any physical risks identified.

In 2024, the first antennas for the SKA-Low telescope were installed on site. Hear from the people building the antennas!

Designing the central supercomputing building

The central supercomputing building for the SKA-Low telescope is a unique facility that also needs to protect the radio quiet environment at the site’s remote location.

Aurecon, working with CSIRO and the SKAO, developed the building design concept to include a fully welded, double shielded enclosure to prevent the signals from the vast array of electronic and electrical equipment contained inside the building from interfering with the sensitive receiving antennas outside.

The building was designed to be prefabricated and brought to site in modules as an optimum logistics solution for the site’s remote location. This method keeps site labour costs low and minimises the potential quality risks associated with remote building construction.

The design of the building was optimised and modelled in Building Information Modelling (BIM) software to provide stakeholders with the ability to ‘walk through’ the building in a virtual environment. This allowed for testing and amendments to the building’s components, useability and layouts in real time.

Location

Wajarri Yamaji Country
Murchison, Western Australia, Australia

Client

CSIRO – Australia’s national science agency, for SKA Observatory (SKAO)

Partners

Ventia – Power design partner

Aurecon's Role

Project management, superintendent services, civil engineering, building design review and acceptance including structural, mechanical, fire safety, fire protection, electrical, hydraulics and environmentally sustainable design (ESD), decarbonisation and power generation, risk analysis

Expertise

Building Design, Program Advisory, Energy Transition & Decarbonisation, Risk & Assurance Strategy

Status

Ongoing

Powering the world’s largest radio telescope sustainably

The SKAO’s commitment to constructing and operating a sustainable observatory includes providing power through renewable energy.

The SKA-Low telescope will incorporate a standalone off-grid renewable energy system that utilises photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and battery storage, forming an integral part of the central power station currently under construction.

The electronics in such systems, such as converters, inverters, battery chargers, and maximum power point trackers, produce radio frequency interference. Equipment situated on site for the SKA-Low telescope must be shielded to an extremely high level to protect the telescopes and receivers from radio frequency interference, ensuring they can detect incredibly faint signals from the Universe.

Aerial view of the SKA-Low Telescope Central Power Station (CPS).

Infrastructure over a vast site area

The site infrastructure covers a 40 km radius and includes roads and access tracks, fibre and power distribution, and buildings.

Aurecon was the project manager for infrastructure delivery in Australia and contributed to the concept design of civil infrastructure; a challenging task due to the location and operational constraints required to support such a sensitive radio telescope.

Together the project partners ensured ground preparation for the antennas and the road designs utilised construction techniques consistent with general best practice in remote areas. The SKAO worked closely with CSIRO and the Wajarri Yamaji to design the SKA-Low telescope layout, preserving Wajarri cultural heritage and ensuring cleared areas were minimised with existing tracks or previous routes are retained as far as possible to minimise disturbance to vegetation and the natural lay of the land. The layout and construction of the telescope minimised potential impacts on Wajarri heritage, and several telescope components were relocated to ensure heritage areas were not disturbed.

360-degree image of SKA-Low Telescope taken at twilight.

The Emu in the Sky, taken on Wajarri Country in Western Australia at the site of the SKA-Low telescope.

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360-degree image of SKA-Low Telescope taken at twilight.

Enhancing health, safety, & environment management

Aurecon partnered to provide comprehensive Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) advice for the installation of 131,072 antennas on the traditional lands of the Wajarri Yamaji People.

Aurecon’s HSE team worked collaboratively with the SKA-Low team, offering expert advice, conducting risk assessments, reviewing contractor proposals, and ensuring ongoing safety compliance through site audits and incident reviews. By streamlining HSE management, Aurecon empowered the client’s HSE team to improve
on-site practices and create a safer and more efficient project environment, which is crucial for this groundbreaking astronomical project.

A history of teamwork and collaboration

Aurecon and CSIRO have worked together for more than 50 years, and the SKA-Low telescope site continues our previous successful delivery of other world-class infrastructure.

Aurecon was the site infrastructure designer and construction contract superintendent for CSIRO’s AUD188 million ASKAP radio telescope, a precursor to the SKA project. In addition to civil, structural, electrical design and contract superintendence services, Aurecon was also involved with GIS related services.

CSIRO is a world leader in astronomy engineering, including designing and constructing the equipment needed to receive and amplify radio waves from space. The ASKAP telescope project involved constructing a radio telescope array of 36 dish antennas, each 12 m in diameter with its own specialised receiver, a control building and supporting infrastructure located at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.

This unique world-class instrument is one of the world’s premier radio telescopes, helping to answer fundamental questions about our Universe.

*All images courtesy of SKA Observatory (SKAO).

Designing the central supercomputing building

Powering the world’s largest radio telescope sustainably

Infrastructure over a vast site area

Enhancing health, safety, & environment management

A history of teamwork and collaboration

TAGS

We would love to work with you to bring your ideas to life, so get in touch and we'll get back to you.

Designing the central supercomputing building

Powering the world’s largest radio telescope sustainably

Infrastructure over a vast site area

Enhancing health, safety, & environment management

A history of teamwork and collaboration

TAGS

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