TMT - Contested Case Hearing Status - Hilo

[TomK]

HOTPE wrote:

"In the year 2015 there was a worldwide total of 87 rocket launches, 82 successful, for all types of satellites. Not sure if any were space based telescopes but here's the list if anyone would like to check:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_in_spaceflight"

I looked at the list. There were four satellites launched that you could define as astronomy based telescopes or observatories and none that would do any science the TMT will do. Two were solar telescopes, one was an X-ray observatory and the fourth was a high-energy observatory designed to detect gamma and cosmic rays.

So far in 2016, two have been launched and one more planned. None are optical/infrared telescopes like the TMT.

2017: two are currently planned for launch. One will work at similar wavelengths as the TMT but is designed for exoplanet observations only.

2018: one is currently planned (the James Webb Space Telescope - JWST). That's the one the TMT want to operate with at the same time. Since the JWST has a limited operational lifetime with no chance of being maintained or upgraded, the TMT board are now reconsidering the telescope's location.

I'm having trouble making those numbers add up to hundreds let alone thousands.

Edited to add more info.