Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
'Hard-Rock Excavation' Begins for Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile
By Doris Elin Salazar, Space.com Contributor | August 19, 2018 07:43am ET
The construction of a gigantic new telescope has kicked into high gear in the Chilean Andes.
The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) has now entered the "hard-rock excavation" phase, which will make way for the huge structure's foundations, leaders of the $1 billion project announced on Tuesday (Aug. 14).
Construction services company Minería y Montajes Conpax (known as Conpax) is performing the work at the telescope project site, which is part of Las Campanas Observatory in northern Chile, Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) Corp. representatives said. [Space.com in Chile: Giant Magellan Telescope Groundbreaking Travelogue]
Hydraulic drilling and hammering of the site is expected to take five months. The foundations that will be poured in after that will support the weight of the telescope, which is estimated to be about 1,600 metric tons (1,700 tons), according to a GMTO statement. The telescope is expected to begin operations in 2024.
More:
https://www.space.com/41532-giant-magellan-telescope-hard-rock-excavation.html