Thirty Meter Telescope project rejects La Palma location

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project will not be located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Spain. The TMT International Observatory (TIO) confirmed that its partners—comprising Japan, India, the United States, and Canada—were unable to reach an agreement regarding the Spanish funding proposal.

Robert Kirshner, Executive Director of the TIO, stated that the decision does not reflect any deficiencies in the work of the Spanish team. He described the Spanish proposal, which included 1 billion euros, as “innovative and solid,” noting that the teams had worked rigorously on engineering, costs, and schedules for months.

Kirshner attributed the rejection to the inherent complexity of financing a scientific project of this scale across multiple countries with a projected 50-year lifespan. The consortium has indicated it will return to its original preferred location, seeking to install the telescope in Maunakea, Hawaii.