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http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...-telescope
"After years of uncertainty, a telescope on Mauna Kea facing funding cuts will continue to conduct research into outer space.
The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, or UKIRT, has been on the hunt for funding for two years after the U.K. Science and Technology Facilities Council announced it would be ceasing funding for the telescope after September of 2013, according to a 2012 article in the Tribune-Herald.
If there had been a lack of interest from research institutions, The Joint Astronomy Centre that runs the telescope would have had to decommission the facility and return the area to its natural state.
However, JAC director Gary Davis said they received multiple bids and selected one on the basis of the proposal."
I hope that's good news for you too, TomK.
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It is, Paul, thanks. There is still one more potential hurdle to overcome but the hope is it's a small one. This has been a long and stressful process which actually started way back at the end of 2009 although it's the last two years that has been the period where things really started to happen.
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27064555
The observatories are a tourist attraction in Chile.
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They are tourist attractions here as well. The number of tourists being taken to the summit via tour companies over the last decade or so has been incredible, and I think most of those companies advertise the fact that you'll see some of the most advanced astronomical observatories on the world during the trip. Tourist traffic to the summit of Maunakea certainly outweighs observatory traffic. But Chile and Hawaii are different places with different outlooks on things and certainly different approaches to their future.
PS. I'm told Maunakea is now the correct spelling of the mountain, not Mauna Kea. So if anyone noticed an apparent misspelling, it was actually quite deliberate. I wonder how long this this will last? Some hotels and resorts might have to consider changing their name. No doubt it'll be a really popular change but need to make sure I didn't read that on April 1st...
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That is quite a linkage there. Ownership taken over by UH-Hilo, funded by NASA, contracted out to Lockmart, partnership with UH and University of Arizona. Also sounds like the work has more applications development plus research. The satellite tracking has military applications. There seems to be more Lockmart presence here, don't know if it is growing or if they have always had a small contingent here for the Pohakuloa range or more personnel involved in the upcoming range expansion.
"This island Hawaii on this island Earth"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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UKIRT will not be doing any military-related research or work. That was made clear to potential new operators and owners a long time ago, and any research with military applications wouldn't have got through the first stage of proposal vetting by the STFC and JAC, let alone the UH. You can claim what you want, but it is from a position of ignorance.
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More good scientific work being done on MK:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27118405
Dazzling Supernova Mystery Solved
