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TMT Telescope Seeks Alternatives to Hawaii; Canarias Campaigns for Project

The US Congress offers a reprieve to the project, while alternative sites are explored on the Pacific island and Roque de Los Muchachos is considered.

Generic image of a large astronomical telescope under a starry sky.
IA

Generic image of a large astronomical telescope under a starry sky.

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project is exploring alternative locations in Hawaii and maintaining negotiations with Canarias, as the US Congress postpones a key funding decision.

The international consortium behind the ambitious Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project has not ruled out the Pacific island of Hawaii as its primary location, despite native opposition. Concurrently, negotiations continue to attract the astronomical giant to the Roque de Los Muchachos in Canarias, an option supported by Spain and potentially Europe.
The pressure exerted by Canarian and European institutions is one more factor in the intense global competition to host this cutting-edge scientific infrastructure. The TMT promoters, also known as TIO (Thirty Meters Telescope International Observatory), are open to formulas that allow them to install the telescope on a Pacific island, even if it means adjusting their initial demands. Furthermore, they are seeking to reverse United States' decision to cut the project's budget.
Recently, the United States Congress has offered a lifeline to the project. Although the National Science Foundation (NSF) had previously discarded it, an appropriations bill passed in March requires the NSF to advance both projects to final design review, albeit without committing additional funding at this time.
In Hawaii, promoters are seeking alternative sites to mitigate opposition led by the native collective Kū Kia’i Mauna (Guardians of the Mountain). The proposal suggests using locations of decommissioned telescopes to minimize environmental impact. Project director Fengchuan Liu has pointed to the former Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) as a potential site, although this would entail logistical challenges and a smaller environmental footprint but a significantly larger occupied area than the CSO.
Opposition from the native Kanaka Maoli population and defenders of Mauna Kea remains strong. They consider the TMT incompatible with their principles and view its presence as a desecration of a sacred site. The situation is further complicated by the expiration of the construction permit and opposition from the Canadian Astronomical Society if Native Hawaiians do not support the project.

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