Speaker
Description
The Square Kilometre Array Observatory has the two largest radio telescopes in the world under construction. Radio astronomy has long enjoyed statutory protection in the form of longstanding ITU radiofrequency spectrum allocation and the establishment of Radio Quiet Zones by national authorities. This latter protection works well for terrestrial conflicts, and allows modern radioastronomy to operate over a wide frequency range outside the ITU protected bands which date from a time when available technology limited observations to narrow parts of the spectrum. However the space segment cannot be so regulated at national level except by ground station licensing mechanisms (and within the filing country). The scale of LEO and MEO exploitation, particularly by constellations providing global connectivity, has broken the RQZ model and radio astronomy is therefore under threat. This contribution focusses on the case for protecting RQZs from space and progress made in industry, the astronomical community and regulators.
