Picture a satellite dish - it's huge, it's white, and it looks the same as every other dish, right?
Not this one. A dish in the Australian outback has had not just its technology updated, but its appearance - giving any would-be visitors to Earth a look at Aboriginal art.
"Aboriginal art is like a depiction of the land and Aboriginal people do have an aerial view when they paint their art, when they're talking about their country and what it means to them," says Peter Renehan, chairman of Aboriginal non-profit Centre for Appropriate Technology.
"There is a connection to the art and the satellite imagery."
The dish near Alice Springs (Geoscience Australia)
Back in the 1970s, Alice Springs was chosen as the site to host Australia's Landsat Ground Station because of its unique offerings. It's out of the way, but also central, due to its location in the middle of Australia.
"Some 37 years on, the antenna is still receiving critical data from international satellites, and with this $4 million upgrade it can now send commands to US Landsat satellites, making it one of only three in the world with this capability," says Geoscience Australia CEO Chris Pigram.
(Geoscience Australia)
The art was designed by Roseanne Kemarre Ellis.
"Having the artwork on the antenna means a lot to Aboriginal people here in Alice," says Mr Renehan. "It's a stamp for us to say this is Aboriginal country."
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