Construção do maior “olho no céu” do mundo recebe aprovação

The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) will be a 39-meter aperture optical and infrared telescope positioned on Cerro Armazones in the Chilean Atacama Desert. In May 2013, Portugal joined the 15 member states of ESO that will support the construction of the E-ELT. The construction of the E-ELT was approved by ESO's Council in June 2012, under the condition that contracts with a value greater than €2 million could only be awarded once the total cost of the telescope was 90% funded.

Poland's accession to ESO brings the current funding commitments to the E-ELT to over 90% of the total cost of the first phase, which will deliver a fully operational E-ELT. The remaining 10% of the overall project costs have been shifted to a second phase. Additional commitments from Brazil, which is set to become a Member State in the coming years, are expected. For these reasons, and to prevent the project from slipping, the ESO Council decided that construction of the first phase of the 39-meter telescope may proceed. Funding includes the contract for the telescope’s dome and main structure — the largest contract in ESO’s history — which will be awarded in late 2015, the first step in the construction of a fully working E-ELT. 

Portugal’s participation in ESO has allowed the country’s astrophysical and planetary science communities access to a world-leading ground-based astronomical infrastructure and underpinned the development and internationalization of the research groups. The construction of the E-ELT opens up numerous and advantageous opportunities for Portuguese companies, too. Several have already secured contracts for ESO infrastructures. In fact, in 2012 Portugal surpassed the goal for industrial return set by ESO for Member States.

Portugal has been a full member of ESO since 2000 and contributes approximately 1% of the total budget.