UMass Receives $10 Million for Mexico Telescope

Oct. 18, 2002

AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Amherst has been allocated $10 million for construction of the Large Millimeter Telescope in the final fiscal year 2003 Defense Appropriations bill. Congressman John Olver was instrumental in securing the funding in the final version of the bill. The full $10 million was included in the House bill, but the Senate proposal included only $3 million. The funding becomes available as soon as President George W. Bush signs the final bill into law.

"The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) project will be capable of vastly extending our knowledge of the universe," Olver said. "The $10 million earmark I have secured in the final Defense Appropriations bill represents the full federal portion of funding for the project. I commend the UMass researchers who have been working on this innovative, international project, and I'm pleased that we were able to secure such a large amount of federal funding for the project."

UMass Amherst Chancellor John V. Lombardi said: "We're extremely grateful for the leadership of John Olver in harnessing the legislative support necessary to secure the funding for this important project. We also want to acknowledge Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, as well as Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, for their key support of this project.

"The ability to deliver on the science and the support for this extraordinary scientific collaboration is a tribute to all who have been involved in the project to date."

The $90-million LMT project is a cooperative effort between UMass Amherst and Mexico's National Institute of Astronomy, Optics and Electronics. When completed in 2004, the LMT will be the world's largest, most sensitive radio telescope. [A radio telescope like the LMT brings into sharp focus faint radio signals which began their journey earthward when the first stars in the universe burst into view, thus enabling researchers to better study the origin of galaxies, stars, planets, and life itself.]

"This telescope will dramatically improve our understanding of the birth of stars as well as shed important light on the processes which occurred in the early universe," said Fred Byron, interim vice chancellor for research at UMass Amherst. "This is the largest basic science collaboration in history between Mexico and the U.S., and it is hoped that many more such fruitful collaborations will occur in the future between the two countries."

Construction of the LMT is currently under way on the peak of Cerro LaNegra, a mountain in central Mexico some 150 miles east of Mexico City. Funding for the project comes from the U.S. and Mexican governments, the state of Massachusetts, the University, and Mexican universities.

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