Sydney (AFP) - Australia Monday began building a vast network of antennas in its remote rural areas, its share of a project whose developers say will eventually become one of the world's most powerful radio telescopes.

When complete, the antennas in Australia and a network of satellite dishes in South Africa will form the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), a massive instrument aimed at solving mysteries about the formation of stars, galaxies and extraterrestrial life.

The idea for the telescope originated in the early 1990s, but the project was delayed by funding problems and diplomatic maneuvering.

Director General of the SKA Observatory Philip Diamond called the launch of the construction project "extremely important".

He said the telescope "will be one of the largest scientific efforts ever undertaken by mankind."

Its name is based on the original goal of the developers who sought to build a telescope that could observe an area of one square kilometer, but the current divisions in South Africa and Australia will have a collection area of just under half that level, according to the observatory.

Both countries have vast tracts of land in remote areas where radio interference is low, providing an ideal environment for such telescopes.

More than 130,000 Christmas tree antennas are planned to be deployed in Western Australia, on the traditional lands of the Wagari Aboriginal people.

He called the site "Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara" or "Sharing the Sky and the Stars".

"We appreciate their willingness to share their skies and stars with us as we seek answers to some of the fundamental scientific questions we face," Diamond said.

The South African site will feature nearly 200 dishes in the remote Karoo region.

Comparing radio telescopes is difficult because they operate at different frequencies, according to developers at the observatory.

The UK-based SKA Observatory expects the telescope to start making scientific observations by the end of this decade.

The organization includes 14 members: Britain, Australia, South Africa, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.