This past weekend the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Advisory Committee (CATAC) updated its members on the status of the project. The news is not good as construction on the oft delayed project might now not start until 2023.
The $1.4 billion telescope for which Canada is providing approximately 15% of the funding, is facing even longer delays. COVID-19 and the ongoing legal battles have have brought construction to a stand-still. In July the TMT International Observatory announced that “no on-site construction activity would take place this year” according to the CASCA update.
The legal battle centers on protests by a vocal group of Native Hawaiians who are opposed to having the telescope built on sacred land.
It’s been six years since ground breaking on the site first happened. The telescope was to have begun science operations in 2027. That won’t likely happen now until at least 2033 and it might be at the alternative site in Spain.
The Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos (ORM) on the island of La Palma off the northwestern coast of Africa could be the future home of the TMT telescope if the situation in Hawaii isn’t resolved. “The alternative site at ORM remains under consideration. CATAC has seen a draft of a report by the Japanese partners on the scientific quality of ORM, which largely comes to the same conclusions we did in our 2017 report (PDF).”
While construction is halted there has been progress been made on the project. Notably, on the the development of instrumentation. “A notable milestone was the interim Conceptual Design Review of the Wide Field Optical Spectrograph, held in July. This review provided important guidance on the work and planning needed to bring it to a full Conceptual Design level. In addition, over the summer several critical systems completed their Preliminary Design phases and are now ready to move into Final Design. These include the Engineering Sensors System, the Instrumentation Cryogenic Cooling System, and the Optical Cleaning System.”
There are other critical technical milestones coming in the next year. They include:
- The release of the US Decadal Survey recommendations, expected in the first half of 2021;
- Initial findings from any Environmental Impact Survey (EIS) conducted by the NSF as a result of its engagement in the project;
- The full cost and schedule review that is currently being undertaken by the Project Office.
Canada’s participation is coordinated through the National Research Council and includes CASCA and the the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA).
Currently the TMT International Observatory partners are looking to bring the US National Science Foundation (NSF) in as a new partner. CASCA reports that a cost review and negotiations are ongoing with the NSF. Once completed, Canada will reevaluate its share of the costs.