Spain is ready to invest up to €400 million to become the new home of the ambitious Thirty Meter Telescope (or TMT for short). This step offers hope for the salvation of a project that is on the verge of being canceled due to budget constraints in the US.
Artistic impression of a Thirty Meter Telescope. Credit: Mitsubishi Electric
Spanish rescue plan
If the deal goes through, TMT will be built not on the controversial Maunakea mountain in Hawaii, but on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. This location was approved as a backup option back in 2016. Spanish Minister of Science Diana Morant clearly stated the government’s readiness to finance the change of location: “Spain wants to and can become the home of future astronomy. We have the capabilities and political will to do so.” This is a direct response to the threat of the US withdrawing from the project.
American uncertainty
The key reason for Spain’s breakthrough was the crisis in financing from the US. The 2026 budget proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the main US sponsor of the Thirty Meter Telescope, calls for a sharp reduction in funding. To save money, the NSF plans to focus on another telescope — the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) in Chile — effectively freezing support for the TMT. Although Congress may reject these cuts, the uncertainty is forcing companies to seek other solutions and prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Future of astronomy
An artist’s impression of the Thirty Meter Telescope at the TMT observatory. Image: TMT International Observatory
The Thirty Meter Telescope is one of three super-powerful observatories of the future. Its 30-meter mirror will enable it to capture images of space with impressive detail that astronomers could only dream of before.
Together with the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and GMT, it will mark a new era in astronomy, enabling the study of distant planets, star formation, and the early stages of the universe. For Spain, which is already a participant in the ELT project, gaining access to the even more advanced TMT observatory will mean further strengthening its position in global science.
The initial location chosen for TMT is Maunakea in Hawaii, known for its ideal conditions for observation. However, the project faced strong opposition from local residents, for whom the mountain is sacred. Mass protests in 2019 effectively halted construction. This social conflict, along with financial pressure on the NSF, significantly undermined Hawaii’s position as the main site.
Earlier, we reported on the Vera Rubin Observatory.
According to Nature