[ASA] Giant Magellan Telescope advances to NSF’s Final Design Phase

[Chris Tinney]

Dear Fellow ASA members

As Australian members of the Board of the Giant Magellan Telescope, we are pleased to share with you the news that on June 11, 2025, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) officially approved the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) to advance into its Major Facilities Final Design Phase (FDP)—a critical step toward becoming eligible for US federal construction funding.

The GMTO press release can be found at: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/9kUSC0YKPvim8J5l3CwfWh90zo6?domain=giantmagellan.org

Reaching this milestone reflects decades of commitment from the GMT partners. It is a major milestone on the path to completing one of the most advanced optical telescopes ever built, and one that will continue Australia’s position at the forefront of international astronomy.

Key Takeaways from the NSF Decision

With NSF approval, Giant Magellan Telescope is now one step closer to securing more than $1 billion in potential US federal support. Completing FDP and passing the Final Design Review (FDR) are among the final prerequisites for accessing that funding. Selecting GMT at this stage is the next step in securing the US Federal investment that will accelerate construction, ensure timely completion, and significantly amplify GMT’s return on investment for Australia.

While this milestone is a cause for celebration, one critical point must be noted: NSF’s decision to advance the Giant Magellan Telescope does not include new funding at this time. As stated in the letter, “no additional funds will be provided by NSF in support of Design Stage activities.”

Next Steps

This is especially exciting for Australia, as three local science teams are leading critical elements of the Giant Magellan Telescope project, including the laser tomography adaptive optics (LTAO) subsystem, the Giant Magellan Telescope Integral Field Spectrograph (GMTIFS), which will leverage the GMTs adaptive optics (AO) capabilities, and the MANIFEST multi fibre-positioning system.

To date, nearly $1 billion in private funding has been committed by Giant Magellan Telescope‘s international consortium of 15 universities and research institutes. GMTO founders are now working towards raising the additional partner funds required to get Giant Magellan Telescope through this next hurdle. This will put the Giant Magellan Telescope on the path to a completed facility with facilities in wide-field spectroscopy and ultra-clean extreme AO to complement the capabilities of the European ELT.


Regards

Chris Tinney
Sarah Pearce
Brian Schmidt.
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