The Road to Phase 1 of the Square Kilometre Array

Building on the major scientific achievements of the current generation of centimetre and metre-wavelength telescopes, phase 1 of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA1) will be the next global radio astronomy observatory. It is currently being designed by engineers and scientists from around the world, with the aim of beginning construction in 2018 and early science operations in 2020. SKA1 will conduct key tests of general relativity through surveys and timing of pulsars in our Galaxy. It will help answer fundamental questions related to the evolution of atomic Hydrogen in the Universe, from the present day back to the Cosmic Dawn. I will give an overview of the wide breadth of science objectives that could be addressed by SKA1, along with a description of the planned telescopes and the sites that will host them.