US may lose Mauna Kea telescope to Spain
The US government is considering cutting funding for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) in Hawaii, possibly ending its future on Mauna Kea.
With the National Science Foundation now favoring a different telescope in Chile, Spain has stepped up, offering €400 million to bring the TMT to its alternate site on La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Implications of the shift
This decision isn't just about where a telescope sits—it could shift the balance of global astronomy.
Mauna Kea's high elevation makes it perfect for groundbreaking space research, while La Palma isn't quite as ideal.
If Congress doesn't restore funding, the US risks losing a major science project and giving up leadership in astrophysics, all while local Native Hawaiian opposition and debates over sacred land continue.