The National Science Foundation has launched an informal outreach to Hawaii about possible funding efforts for the stalled 30 meter telescope project, apnews.com/ reported on Friday. The 30 meter telescope project had teamed with the Giant Magellan Telescope planned in Chile and the US National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory to propose the US Extremely Large Telescope Programme. 30 meter telescope officials recently submitted a planning and design proposal to the science foundation aimed at obtaining major funding for $1bn added to the project’s cost due to construction delays, inflation and other factors. Under the proposal, the foundation would contribute $850 million each to the Thirty Meter Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope. Kealoha Pisciotta, leader of the Mauna Kea Hui group that opposed the telescope, said her group and others are prepared to challenge federal environmental documents.

Source: Punch August 22, 2020 22:52 UTC