Read this article in French German Italian Portuguese Spanish
US pulls funding for US$2.4bn Hawaii space telescope
03 June 2025
The US National Science Foundation (NSF) will no longer fund the planned Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano, citing budget constraints and a shift toward funding projects with greater commercial return.
Render of the TMT International Observatory, which was scheduled for construction in Hawaii, US. The project has since been axed due to lack of funding. Image: TMT International Observatory
The US$2.4 billion observatory project, which will remain in the design phase, faced years of delay due to legal challenges and local opposition from Native Hawaiians who consider the volcano sacred. The site atop Mauna Kea was selected for its optimal viewing conditions in the northern hemisphere.
The NSF’s new budget proposal for FY2026 reduced its overall funding request from $9 billion to $3.9 billion, which prompted a strategic pivot.
Instead, the NSF will support the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) in Chile’s Atacama Desert. That project is about 40% complete and backed by approximately $1 billion in private funding, making it a more cost-efficient option from the agency’s perspective.
Despite the decision, TMT project manager Fengchuan Liu said via looking reporting the team remains “firmly committed to finding a path forward,” calling the telescope “one of the most compelling American opportunities in this generation.”
The TMT was expected to explore early galaxies, dark matter, dark energy, and signs of life on exoplanets.
STAY CONNECTED
Receive the information you need when you need it through our world-leading magazines, newsletters and daily briefings.
CONNECT WITH THE TEAM
