A consortium of research agencies from four continents has approved construction of a 30-metre-class optical telescope, ending years of uncertainty over financing. Building work is expected to begin next year, with first light targeted for the early 2030s.
The instrument will be able to take direct images of planets around nearby stars and to study the first galaxies in unprecedented detail. "This is the moment the community has been waiting for," says consortium chair Marta Novak, an astronomer at the Andes Astrophysical Observatory.
The agreement includes commitments to share observing time with researchers in the host country and to fund training for local engineers. Environmental assessments will continue alongside early site works.
