"This project is clearly the cornerstone of astronomical observations and industry for the United States for the foreseeable future."  -- Governor David Ige

Click on photo to hear Governor's comments

Governor Ige Addresses TMT at Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

News Release from MaunaKeaandTMT.org, June 30, 2020

Governor Ige gave the keynote address today for the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership & Installation Meeting. Here's what he had to say:

"We have seen a lot more support at the international level to recognize that Maunakea is truly a unique site, that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. And the fate of the Thirty Meter Telescope really coincides with the entire astronomy industry in the United States. This project is clearly the cornerstone of astronomical observations and industry for the United States for the foreseeable future. And so, I'm excited for that opportunity. I know there is support internationally and certainly we are committed to making sure that the project moves forward." 

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The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) Project has been developed as collaboration among Caltech, the University of California (UC), the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA), and the national institutes of Japan, China, and India with the goal to design, develop, construct, and operate a thirty-meter class telescope and observatory on Maunakea in cooperation with the University of Hawaii (TMT Project). The TMT International Observatory LLC (TIO), a non-profit organization, was established in May 2014 to carry out the construction and operation phases of the TMT Project. The Members of TIO are Caltech, UC, the National Institutes of Natural Sciences of Japan, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Department of Science and Technology of India, and the National Research Council (Canada); the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a TIO Associate. Major funding has been provided by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation. 

For more information about the TMT project, visit tmt.org, www.facebook.com/TMTHawaii or follow @TMTHawaii.