Several other cities are being considered for the TMT.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT), the largest telescope to be built in the world, may be installed in Ladakh.
According to a Press Trust of India report, the authorities are also considering different places for building the telescope after protests in Hawaii, where the telescope was expected to be installed.
“The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015. However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Hawaii revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds,” Bacham Eswar Reddy, Program Director, was quoted as saying by PTI.
“The State of Hawaii agencies are working on the permit process following the prescribed procedure by the court. TMT is pursuing the matter in consultation with the University of Hawaii (land leaseholder) and other agencies. It seeks to construct TMT on Mauna Kea which is the preferred choice,” he added.
Many places, including sites in Chile, are also being considered for constructing the telescope. The decision will be taken considering the technical, financial and logistical viability.
“It is expected that on-site civil work on the project may be delayed by about 18-24 months. However, work on telescope and observatory subsystems continues across the partnership,” Reddy added.
India has a 10 percent stake in the project aimed at exploring the universe. China, Japan, Canada and the US are the other nations participating in the mission. The Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy are managing the project for the Indian government.
“The project is expected to improve employment opportunities for the local people besides development of the region. TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will strengthen the domestic program of the country in this field and lead to several discoveries, which will inspire future generations. The project will also help develop state-of-the-art high-end technologies and expertise in the country,” a ministry statement said.
According to the website of TMT, when completed, the TMT will enable astronomers to study objects in the solar system and stars throughout the Milky Way and its neighboring galaxies, and galaxies at the very edge of the observable universe, near the beginning of time.