‘Experts working on world’s biggest telescope’

Device to cost $1.47bn, built by international consortium including India

New Delhi, June 23: Union minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday lauded Indian scientists’ contribution to the making of the world’s biggest telescope which would allow astronomers to observe the intricacies of the universe from the comforts of the Earth.

Mr Vardhan said the site for the telescope — a multi-million dollar project being developed by an international consortium including India — was still being finalised.

Hanle in Ladakh was one of the sites being explored.

“The sites would be evaluated for technical and logistical suitability,” the minister of science and technology said, hailing Indian scientists as among the best in the world.

India’s contribution to the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project would be “more in terms of hardware” than money, he said, adding that India would spend `1,300-crore India is collaborating with the US, Japan, and other countries...It’s a matter of great pride for us that our material would be used in it.

Harsh Vardhan,

on it. The ambitious nextgeneration TMT is to be built at an estimated cost of $1.47 billion by an international consortium, including institutions from India, the United States, Canada, Japan and China.

“India is collaborating with the US, Japan, and other countries for the world’s biggest telescope project. It’s a matter of great pride for us that our material would be used in it,” Mr Vardhan said.

Addressing a gathering at a workshop for journalists at CSIR’s Anusandhan Bhawan, he said the construction was expected to start at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, but protests by locals in that part of the US had stalled the project.

India is a 10 per cent partner in this global project. On the Indian side, the project is being handled by the ministry of science and technology and the department of atomic energy.

The gigantic telescope is scheduled to be ready by 2020.