Australia on Monday started building a vast network of antennas in the Outback, its section of what planners say will eventually become one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world.

When complete, the antennas in Australia and a network of dishes in South Africa will form the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), a massive instrument that will aim to untangle mysteries about the creation of stars, galaxies and extraterrestrial life.

The idea for the telescope was first conceived in the early 1990s, but the project was plagued by delays, funding issues and diplomatic jockeying.

The European Space Agency made history last week with the announcement of the first "parastronaut," 41-year-old UK citizen John McFall.

He is the first candidate selected for the Parastronaut Feasibility project, described by ESA as a "serious, dedicated and honest attempt to clear the path to space for a professional astronaut with a physical disability."

McFall, a former Paralympic sprinter, had his right leg amputated after a motorcycle accident at age 19.

Most of us are familiar with images of grueling astronaut selection tests and training from movies such as The Right Stuff. ESA seeks to answer the practical question of what changes to training and equipment need to be made for a physically disabled person to travel to space.

How are astronauts selected?

NASA first selected astronauts, the Mercury Seven, in 1959.