Green light for construction of the "world's largest eye turned toward the sky"

The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) will be a 39-meter optical and infrared telescope, which will be located on Cerro Armazones in the Chilean Atacama Desert. In May 2013, Portugal joined the group of 15 ESO Member States that will support the implementation of the E-ELT. In June 2012, the ESO Council approved its construction, on the condition that contracts worth more than €2 million would only be approved once 90% of the total cost of the telescope had been financed.

Poland's accession to the ESO allows the funds currently allocated to the E-ELT to reach more than 90% of the total cost of the first phase, which will ensure a fully operational telescope. The remaining 10% of the total project cost has been transferred to a second phase. Additional funds are expected to become available with Brazil's accession as a Member State in the coming years. For these reasons, and to prevent the project from losing momentum, the ESO Council decided to proceed with the construction of the first phase of the 39-meter telescope. The funding includes the contract for the telescope dome and main structure — the largest contract in ESO's history — which will be awarded at the end of 2015 and will be the first step in the construction of a fully operational E-ELT. 

Portugal's participation in ESO has given the national astrophysics and astronomy communities access to world-leading ground-based observation infrastructure, which has been crucial for the growth and internationalization of scientific teams. The construction of the E-ELT also brings several excellent opportunities for national companies. Several have already secured contracts for ESO infrastructure. In fact, Portugal exceeded the industrial return target set by ESO for member states in 2012.

Portugal has been a full member of ESO since 2000, contributing around 1% of the organization's overall budget.