TMT at the Regents Today

Included in today's agenda at the Regents' Academic and Student Affairs Committee is a report on "Astronomy at the University of California." Included is a section on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project that has been stalled by Native Hawaiian protests. This blog has, from time to time, reported on the TMT project which seems to have roiled state politics in Hawaii. Look for mention of TMT in public comments. It will be interesting to see whether the Regents themselves have a discussion of it, and - if so - what they say, when the report is presented.

...The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a next-generation, ground-based telescope, capable of transformative science, from the origin of the universe to the search for other life-bearing Earths orbiting nearby stars. UC was a founding partner of the project, which now includes the California Institute of Technology and the national science foundations of Canada, India, and Japan. The U.S. National Academies 2020 Decadal Survey recommended a major federal government role in the two U.S. ELT projects as its highest priority for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The other ELT project is the Giant Magellan Telescope, to be sited in the southern hemisphere, led by the Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, and the University of Arizona, along with other partners. TMT has formally been proposed to the NSF, passed successfully through preliminary design review, and received design development funding. As of March 26, 2023, the National Science Board—the governing body of NSF—recommended that NSF support one project, requesting NSF to develop a selection process.

TMT and UC are monitoring these activities and planning a response when the selection process is developed. Construction of TMT was halted in 2019 by large-scale protests by the people of Hawai’i, unhappy with the impact of astronomy on Maunakea, a mountain that is sacred to many. Construction remains paused. TMT, with support from UC, has been working to build true partnerships in Hawai’i, listening to the concerns of the people, supporting education and workforce development, and developing programs to meaningfully meet the needs of the community. UC’s partners at the Keck Observatory have been pioneers in Hawaiian community relations. The Legislature of Hawai’i passed a law giving governance of Maunakea to a new Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority (MKSOA) which incorporates all voices into its leadership and will have authority over existing leases (such as the Keck Observatory) and future projects. MKSOA is an extremely positive development and creates hope for a just and shared solution to the role of astronomy in Hawai’i...

Full report at https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/regmeet/mar24/a3.pdf.