Timeline
Our goal is to construct the Thirty Meter Telescope and bring it into operation in the next decade. The astronomy community, through its “decadal survey” of astronomy in 2001, called for this as the highest-priority large new project for ground-based astronomy.
By accomplishing this goal, TMT will be able to operate at the same time as the James Webb Space Telescope, due to be launched later this decade. Thus, TMT would be able to work in a complementary way with the Webb telescope, just as the Keck observatory has worked with the Hubble Space Telescope, combining the different discovery and study capabilities of each system.
We are now in a design and development phase intended to bring the TMT project to readiness to start construction, depending upon the availability of construction funding from public and private sources.
Assuming that our funding is received when needed, our pace is set by technology development and design, here is the current project timeline:
June 2003
Project partnership between ACURA, Caltech and UC formed
October and December 2003
Moore Foundation awards $35 million for design work in two awards to Caltech/UC
April 2004
Project Office established in Pasadena
June 2004
Science Requirements Document adopted by project
October 2004
Telescope Reference Design established
November 2004
Adaptive Optics and Instrument Reference Design established
February 2005
Call for astronomy community proposals for TMT instruments
February 2005
ACURA awarded $10 million Canadian for design of TMT
March 2006
Instrument proposals reviewed
May 2006
Conceptual Design Review passed
September 2006
Cost Review passed
June 2007
Construction/Preconstruction Phase Proposal Review
July 2007
Site Testing Review
June 2009
Preliminary Design Review
June 2010
Final Design/Construction Readiness Review
2012-2013
Construction begins
2017-2018
TMT First Light With Full Primary Mirror
2018-2019
First science
