The biggest ever radio telescope just started construction, and is scheduled to begin science operations in 2027. It will be 50 times more sensitive than any previous observatory, and 10000 times faster at gathering data. It will study the so-called Dark Ages (just 380000 years after the Big Bang), as well as large-scale galactic structures, and could even look for signs of alien life.
This week, construction officially began on the Square Kilometre Array – set to become the largest and most sensitive radio telescope ever built – with first light scheduled for 2027.