A stalled project to erect the largest telescope in the Northern Hemisphere on Mauna Kea in Hawaii has been revitalized, with Spain offering new funding and a fresh site on La Palma island.
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), intended to be constructed alongside other astronomical telescopes at 4,205 meters above sea level on Mauna Kea, faced opposition from Hawaiian Indigenous communities due to the mountain’s sacred significance. Consequently, construction delays and escalating costs halted progress.
Spain’s recent pledge of €400 million ($648 million) to support the TMT’s erection on Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma, part of the Canary Islands, presents a new opportunity. Although La Palma, boasting over 20 astronomical telescopes at 2,396 meters, lacks Mauna Kea’s height and weather clarity, it serves as a viable alternative.
However, Ben Magec-Ecologists in Action, an environmental group in the Canary Islands, has expressed reservations about the project’s relocation to Spain. This dissent underscores the importance of garnering widespread support from the outset to avoid setbacks.
In the realm of telescopes, size plays a critical role in enhancing celestial observation capabilities. The TMT, one of three “megatelescopes” under development, stands as the sole Northern Hemisphere project. The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will find their homes in Chile.
The TMT initiative commenced over two decades ago, with various nations, including Canada, participating in funding efforts. Mauna Kea’s allure lies in its elevated location, offering clear skies for astronomical observations. However, past observatory constructions on the mountain lacked approval from Native Hawaiians, sparking protests and construction disruptions since 2014.
The TMT’s prolonged delays have inflated costs to $3.9 billion, placing the project in a state of uncertainty. Moreover, the recent withdrawal of U.S. support has further complicated matters, prompting a shift in focus towards advancing the GMT in Chile.
Despite advancements in space telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, ground-based telescopes with colossal mirrors are poised to match or surpass their space-based counterparts. Additionally, the serviceability and adaptability of ground-based telescopes provide longevity and room for technological upgrades, a feature lacking in space telescopes like Webb.
The setbacks encountered by the TMT underscore the significance of involving Indigenous communities in large-scale projects on their lands. Similar challenges are witnessed in Canada with proposed pipelines traversing native territories in British Columbia, emphasizing the necessity of inclusive consultations from project inception to mitigate delays and cost escalations.
