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2024 was a year of construction milestones and new partnerships. Two institutions joined our international consortium and we progressed in the design, manufacturing, and assembly of multiple components on the Giant Magellan Telescope, now 40% under construction.

This is our story of 2024 told visually.

January Workers at Japan’s Chiba Kogaku glass factory break a clay pot to extract a 1,500-pound chunk of a highly pure glass called E6. Produced using a century-old process, the glass will eventually be shipped to scientists at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Credit: Christopher Payne, chrispaynephoto.com

National Geographic went behind the scenes to learn how the Giant Magellan Telescope mirrors are made in The Glass Age. Dive deeper into how chemical elements come full circle in building the world’s largest optical mirrors at the University of Arizona.

February Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) Research Fellow Shiang-Yu Wang (left) and Giant Magellan Telescope President Robert N. Shelton (right) at the GMTO Corporation Pasadena offices following ASIAA joining the consortium. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), a distinguished research institute based in Taiwan, joined our international consortium. This addition expanded our global representation to the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan.

March Completed Zerodur Thin Shell for Giant Magellan Telescope Adaptive Secondary Mirror during final inspection prior to shipping to ADS International in Italy. Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

Three important milestones for the adaptive secondary mirror development and risk reduction were completed, including the delivery of the first off-axis Zerodur thin shell. The off-axis, parabolic reference body and thin shell are the first off-axis adaptive secondary mirror components to be built. This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement Award No. (FAIN) 2013059.

April Barbara Fischer (right), Primary Mirror Subsystems Manager, and Marianne Cox (second from right), Software and Controls Manager, shared stories from their careers and advice for the next generation on a Women in STEM panel moderated by Valerie Hirschberg (left), Education and Outreach Manager, at the Los Angeles City of STEM and Makers Faire. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

We participated in the City of STEM + Los Angeles Maker Faire, which drew over 25,000 attendees, including a Giant Magellan Telescope booth and a Women in STEM panel where members of our team shared stories from their careers and advice for the next generation. 

May University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab staff member cleaning refractory material from the back surface of the Giant Magellan’s seventh and final mirror. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

The final steps of the casting process for our seventh and final mirror segment were cleaning the ceramic fiber mold material out of the mirror. The clean out of the mirror was done in the spring at the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab and was followed by a thorough inspection of the mirror, including the internal structure. 

June Nighttime exterior telescope rendering with support site buildings in the foreground. Credit: IDOM / Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

In partnership with IDOM, the telescope enclosure passed its final design review. At over 5,000 metric tons, the 65-meter-tall enclosure will be able to complete a full rotation in four minutes and be equipped with 46-meter-tall shutter doors that reveal the 25.4-meter telescope. The site will expose the telescope and enclosure to regular seismic events and the enclosure is designed to survive the strongest earthquakes expected over the lifetime of the observatory.

July Trupti Ranka (right), Principal Opto-Mechanical Control Systems Engineer, speaking with SPIE conference participant at the US Extremely Large Telescope Program booth in the exhibition hall at SPIE’s biennial technical conference, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, in Yokohama, Japan. Credit: SPIE

SPIE’s biennial technical conference, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, took place in Yokohama, Japan. Nearly a dozen participants from the Giant Magellan Telescope engaged in the event to provide talks, chair sessions, present at poster sessions, and volunteer at the exhibitor booth. William Burgett, Giant Magellan Telescope Project Manager, gave an invited talk on the status of telescope construction and what’s ahead.

August Giant Magellan Telescope mount track segment being lifted by Ingersoll Machine Tools technician into the concrete pit at Ingersoll Machine Tools facility in Rockford, IL. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

Manufacturing and assembly of the largest telescope mount built in the United States began at Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. in Illinois. Additional manufacturing of the 39-meter-tall precision moving structure is taking place in Alabama and Michigan.

September Children interact with Universo Expansivo’s ‘Astronomy for All Senses’ tactile kit materials at the Los Angeles City of STEM and Makers Faire. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

With support from Parque Explora, Red Aprender, and leading community organizations across Chile and the United States, the Giant Magellan Telescope launched Universo Expansivo, a free multisensory astronomy education program for both informal and formal learning environments.

October Primary mirror support system prototype integration with completed primary mirror for testing at the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

In association with work funded by the National Science Foundation, a completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirror was successfully installed into a support system prototype for testing at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement Award No. (FAIN) 2332336.

November Group of event participants outside of Giant Magellan Telescope mobile planetarium at Ladera Sur Festival in Santiago, Chile. Credit: Gonzalo Torres

18,000 people gathered  in Santiago for the Festival de Ladera Sur. The Giant Magellan Telescope’s mobile planetarium offered attendees a unique glimpse into the wonders of the night sky and highlighted the importance of preserving dark skies.

December Northwestern University joins the Giant Magellan Telescope international consortium. Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

We welcomed Northwestern University as the 9th American institution to invest in the Giant Magellan Telescope. Northwestern’s investment expands the Giant Magellan Telescope international consortium to 15 research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan.

The Universe Awaits for 2025!

To see more from the Giant Magellan Telescope, check out The Year in Photos 2023 and The Year in Photos 2022.

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Northwestern’s investment expands the Giant Magellan Telescope international consortium to 15 research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan.

PASADENA, CA – December 12, 2024 – The Giant Magellan Telescope announced today that Northwestern University has joined its international consortium to construct the $2.54 billion observatory.

Home to the world-renowned Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and the newly founded NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI), Northwestern is at the forefront of advancing astrophysical research. Northwestern researchers will develop and apply cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance the Giant Magellan Telescope’s capabilities, enabling it to search for Earth-like planets across the Milky Way, investigate the Universe’s most energetic explosions, and explore the intricate relationship between galaxies and black holes.

“Northwestern University’s strength in AI, astrophysics, and engineering innovation makes them an important addition to our consortium,” said Dr. Walter Massey, Board Chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope and former Director of the National Science Foundation. “Their involvement further establishes the Giant Magellan Telescope as the telescope of choice for America’s top universities, now spanning institutions across Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. This collaboration reflects a nationwide commitment to advancing astronomy and cementing U.S. leadership in manufacturing and scientific discovery.”

World map highlighting the 15 research institutions included in the international consortium building the Giant Magellan Telescope.

As a new partner, Northwestern joins a distinguished group of American institutions driving one of the largest public-private partnerships in science, which includes the University of Arizona, Carnegie Science, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Chicago, Texas A&M University, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Institution, and Arizona State University. Together, these institutions award more than 30% of the nation’s Ph.D. degrees and invest more than $250 million annually in research and instrumentation for astronomy in the U.S. — fueling technology innovations and strengthening America’s manufacturing economy. Northwestern’s investment builds the consortium’s momentum as it awaits the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) decision regarding federal participation in the partnership, which would expand access in the Giant Magellan Telescope to include all U.S. scientists.

Recognized as a leader in cross-disciplinary collaborations, Northwestern is ranked #6 in U.S. News & World Report’s National Universities rankings and #11 in the Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, which recognizes, incentivizes and celebrates interdisciplinary science in higher education around the globe. CIERA and Northwestern Astronomy also rank in the top 10 nationally for research impact and national awards for faculty. CIERA’s interdisciplinary approach connects astronomy research and education to computer science, engineering, high-performance computing, and beyond. Just this year, the NSF and Simons Foundation awarded Northwestern with a highly competitive grant to establish the SkAI Institute. The Institute, which unites researchers across disciplines to develop innovative, trustworthy AI tools for survey astronomy, especially motivated by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, solidifies Northwestern as a leader at the forefront of AI and astrophysics.

With these strengths, Northwestern researchers will contribute essential expertise to the complex datasets generated by the Giant Magellan Telescope and will play a crucial role in ensuring the observatory achieves its full potential as a tool for humanity’s continuing exploration of the Universe when it is commissioned in the early 2030s.

“Northwestern’s commitment to interdisciplinary research — particularly in astrophysics, AI, data science and engineering — positions us to lead the next wave of astronomical research,” Northwestern President Michael H. Schill said. “Our full partnership with the Giant Magellan Telescope Consortium is a testament to this vision. I am especially grateful for Vicky Kalogera’s leadership and efforts to secure this partnership. This collaboration will provide unparalleled opportunities for our students and faculty to push the boundaries of research and innovation as we seek to understand the Universe.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope will deliver up to 200 times the resolution and sensitivity of today’s leading telescopes, offering unprecedented power for astronomical discovery. Unique among the new class of “extremely large telescopes,” it features the widest field of view and the only science instruments capable of detecting and analyzing Earth-like planets in the reflected light of their host stars. It will be the first ground- or space-based telescope, operating now or in the future, capable of such unprecedented detections. This revolutionary capability moves the field beyond traditional transit detection methods for the first time.

The Giant Magellan Telescope is now 40% under construction across 36 states and on track to be operational in Chile by the early 2030s.

About

Northwestern University

Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is one of the country’s leading private research and teaching universities with an enrollment of approximately 8,000 full-time undergraduate students and approximately 8,000 full-time graduate and professional students and approximately 2,000 part-time students on campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. Northwestern combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries. Northwestern provides students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal and professional growth in a setting enhanced by the richness of Chicago.

 

Giant Magellan Telescope

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the future of space exploration from Earth. Using seven of the world’s largest mirrors, the 25.4-meter telescope will produce the most detailed images ever taken of our Universe. It will uncover the cosmic mysteries of dark matter, investigate the origins of the chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant planets. The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 15 universities and research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan. The telescope is being built in America and will be reassembled and completed in Chile by the early 2030s. The Universe Awaits at giantmagellan.org.

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Northwestern Media Contact Amanda Morris Senior Editor of Science and Engineering amandamo@northwestern.edu Giant Magellan Media Contact Ryan Kallabis Senior Director of Communications & Outreach rkallabis@gmto.org

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The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced the appointment of Christine S. Oh as Vice President for Development and External Affairs. Christine will lead efforts to secure new partners, enhance federal relations, and expand public engagement as the telescope advances through its next phase of construction.

“We are thrilled to welcome Christine to our leadership team,” said Robert Shelton, President of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Her proven track record in philanthropy and government affairs will be critical as we work to build relationships with both private and government partners in the U.S. and abroad. Christine’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment as we build one of the world’s most powerful ground-based telescopes in Chile.”

Christine brings over 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit development, federal relations, and communications. She joined the Giant Magellan Telescope in 2020, initially serving as a development consultant before taking on the role of Director of Development for the past two years. Prior to joining the project, Christine held leadership positions at Catchafire, Grameen America, and the Korean American Community Foundation, where she secured major gifts and foundation support for economic empowerment and capacity building initiatives. Her early career in federal relations included serving as a legislative aide to former U.S. Congressman Xavier Becerra, now the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services – a background that will be instrumental as she strengthens the Giant Magellan’s partnerships with government stakeholders.

“It is an honor to be part of such a visionary project,” said Christine Oh. “The Giant Magellan Telescope will redefine the frontiers of astronomical discovery, and I am determined to help secure the resources needed to bring this ambitious project to life. I look forward to advancing our federal relations and public engagement strategies as we push forward through this critical construction phase.”

Christine holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Associate Certified Coach (ACC).

About

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the future of space exploration from Earth. Using seven of the world’s largest mirrors, the 25.4-meter telescope will produce the most detailed images ever taken of our Universe. It will uncover the cosmic mysteries of dark matter, investigate the origins of the chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant planets. The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 14 universities and research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan. The telescope is being built in America and will be reassembled and completed in Chile by the early 2030s. The Universe Awaits at giantmagellan.org.

Media Contact Ryan Kallabis Director of Communications & Outreach rkallabis@gmto.org +1 626 204 0554

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World’s largest optical mirror successfully installed on support system prototype for the first time to validate telescope’s extraordinary performance

TUCSON, AZ — October 15, 2024 — The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced the successful installation of one of its completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirrors into a support system prototype at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. This highly sophisticated system — comparable in size to half a basketball court and containing three times the number of parts of a typical car — is vital to the telescope’s optical performance and precision control. The milestone marks the start of a six-month optical testing phase to demonstrate that the support system can control the mirror as required, validating the revolutionary capabilities of the telescope’s primary light-collecting surface.

The Giant Magellan’s 368-square-meter light-collecting surface is composed of seven of the world’s largest optical mirrors arranged in a unique flower pattern. Together, they will provide the highest image resolution over the widest field of view ever achieved for the exploration of the Universe — delivering up to 200 times the power of today’s best telescopes. Each primary mirror weighs 17-metric tons and is supported by a highly specialized pneumatic support system which is housed in a steel weldment, or “cell.” This system works with nanometer precision, and is designed to adjust the mirror’s position, stabilize its temperature, protect it from seismic activity, and maintain its precise shape by mitigating mirror sagging from gravity as the telescope moves. The system controls the combined seven primary mirrors to act as a single light-collecting surface, creating the optimal conditions for peak optical performance during scientific observations.

Completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirror transport and placement above support system prototype at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Video credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation.

“This work is funded by a National Science Foundation award,” said Barbara Fischer, Primary Mirror Subsystem Manager for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “We began integrating the active support prototype system more than three years ago, and we first used a steel mirror mass simulator to demonstrate that our design was able to safely support and control the completed primary mirror segments. I am honored to work with an extraordinary team, and it is exciting to finally see a completed mirror segment integrated with the cell.”

As a key part of the integration process, Giant Magellan worked closely with Texas A&M University to clean, assemble, and test the support actuators that are being used in the cell. While the actual installation of the mirror into the cell took only one day, the process began with four weeks of disassembly to prepare the cell and support system for transport. The system was then moved 20 miles from the University of Arizona’s Tech Park to the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab for reassembly. This logistically complex operation occurred a few hours after midnight to minimize traffic disruptions, as the wide-load cell required two road lanes for transport.

Completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirror hanging above support system prototype with technician in the foreground at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Image credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror active support system is the first of its kind,” said Trupti Ranka, Principal Opto-Mechanical Control Systems Engineer for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “The active support system contains an array of approximately 200 actuators and sensors to control the position and shape of the 17-metric tons, 8.4-meter mirror within a fraction of a micron. The control system allows a harmonious operation between the sensor data and actuators to achieve this precision.”

Now that one of the primary mirrors has been successfully integrated with the support system prototype, it will undergo rigorous testing under a metrology tower at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab to confirm that the mirror can maintain its shape and performance under various operational conditions. Once testing is complete, the design for the production active support systems will undergo a final design review, and production will commence in 2027.

Completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirror installation into its support system prototype with technicians in the foreground at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Image credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation.

“This intricate system took years of designing, building, and testing by a team of specialized engineers and technicians,” said Tomas Krasuski, Principal Software and System Test Engineer for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Every single component was thoroughly tested before integrating it into the system. Now that we’ve installed the mirror segment, we are excited to validate its performance. It has been a challenging yet rewarding process to get here.”

The milestone highlights the next stage of advancement for the Giant Magellan Telescope’s seven primary mirror segments and their support systems. Three of the primary mirror segments are complete, while the remaining four are in various stages of polishing. The seventh and final primary mirror was cast in October 2023 and is now being prepared for polishing. This latest milestone also follows the August 2024 start of the Giant Magellan’s 39-meter-tall telescope mount structure assembly at Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, Illinois, which will support the seven primary mirrors and their cells, adaptive optics, and scientific instruments.

“For the first time, a completed primary mirror segment has been integrated into its support system — this is a giant step in our journey toward first light,” said William Burgett, Project Manager for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Once its performance is validated, we will begin manufacturing all seven mirror cells at Ingersoll Machine Tools, which will be one of the most exciting advancements to date.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope is now 40% under construction across 36 states and on track to be operational in Chile by the early 2030s.

About

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the future of space exploration from Earth. Using seven of the world’s largest mirrors, the 25.4-meter telescope will produce the most detailed images ever taken of our Universe. It will uncover the cosmic mysteries of dark matter, investigate the origins of the chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant planets. The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 14 universities and research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan. The telescope is being built in America and will be reassembled and completed in Chile by the early 2030s. The Universe Awaits at giantmagellan.org.

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New education program provides multisensory learning experiences across Chile and the United States

PASADENA, CA — September 30, 2024 — The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced the launch of Universo Expansivo, a new education program designed to increase accessibility in astronomy education, particularly for students with vision loss, through tactile astronomy kits and accompanying lesson plans. Materials for Universo Expansivo were developed in collaboration with Parque Explora in Colombia and Red Aprender in Chile, and is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Chile and its network of 14 “American Spaces.” Following a successful pilot phase with six community organizations across Chile and the United States, the Giant Magellan now welcomes interested educators and members of the public to utilize the initiative’s free resources in both countries.

“Universo Expansivo reflects both the Giant Magellan’s priority in making astronomy more accessible, and our commitment to working with partner organizations to co-develop and implement equity-driven initiatives,” said Valerie Hirschberg, Education and Outreach Manager for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “We are incredibly grateful for our collaborators who have helped make Universo Expansivo a reality throughout Chile and the United States.”

With support from Parque Explora, Red Aprender, and leading community organizations across Chile and the United States, the Giant Magellan Telescope launches Universo Expansivo, a free multisensory astronomy education program for both informal and formal learning environments.

Universo Expansivo was developed in both English and Spanish for flexible use across various educational settings, including both formal and informal learning environments. The tactile kit, designed by Parque Explora with the support of the International Astronomical Union, empowers students to explore astronomy concepts in our Universe — such as the scale and relative distances of celestial bodies — through tactile materials. The complementary manual of lesson plans, designed by Red Aprender, engages students in learning about astronomical phenomenon — such as eclipses — through auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, and multisensory activities.

Universo Expansivo includes a comprehensive set of multisensory materials and activities to supplement K-12 physical science learning in both informal and formal educational settings. Image credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation.

“We are excited and proud to have created the teaching manual for Universo Expansivo,” said Francisca Schweitzer, Executive Director of Red Aprender. “In the process, we spoke with many people and learned a great deal about both astronomy and the importance of inclusion and accessibility. We believe in highlighting diverse abilities. Everyone needs adaptations — there is no ‘average’ human being. Embracing the creation of diverse learning experiences opens new mental pathways, making it a journey that fosters learning and sparks curiosity in everyone.”

The accessible multisensory approach of Universo Expansivo was successfully piloted earlier this year in workshops at the Braille Institute of America, California Science Center, Fundación Mustakis, Las Campanas Observatory, Museo Interactivo Mirador, and in several schools across the Pasadena Unified School District. Workshops involved more than 100 participants in the Chilean communities of Santiago and the Coquimbo region surrounding the Giant Magellan site, and California communities in Los Angeles County near the Giant Magellan’s headquarters.

“The hands-on space exploration piqued students’ curiosities and creatively expanded their understanding of space. What a memorable program for our students!” said Madeleine Hernandez, Manager of National and Youth Programs for the Braille Institute of America.

Students from the Braille Institute of America interact with a multisensory model of the solar system from Universo Expansivo’s ‘Astronomy for All Senses’ tactile kit. Image credit: Braille Institute of America.

“Universo Expansivo exemplifies the Giant Magellan Telescope’s commitment to promote science education and open opportunities to engage with astronomy to everyone. The students not only receive valuable learning experiences, but the curiosity fostered extends far beyond the classroom,” said Oscar Contreras-Villarroel, Vice President and Representative in Chile for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “With the support of the U.S. Embassy in Chile and its 14 ‘American Spaces’ around the country, the alliance strengthens Chilean STEM education through Universo Expansivo.”

Universo Expansivo is now ready for broader implementation in Chile and the United States, featuring free tactile kits, teacher workshops and lesson plans, as well as free public educational resources available for download. The Giant Magellan Telescope welcomes new partners and communities interested in engaging with Universo Expansivo at Universoexpansivo.org.

About

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the future of space exploration from Earth. Using seven of the world’s largest mirrors, the 25.4-meter telescope will produce the most detailed images ever taken of our Universe. It will uncover the cosmic mysteries of dark matter, investigate the origins of the chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant planets. The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 14 universities and research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan. The telescope is being built in America and will be reassembled and completed in Chile by the early 2030s. The Universe Awaits at giantmagellan.org.

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Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. builds the largest telescope mount manufactured in the United States

ROCKFORD, IL — August 28, 2024 — The Giant Magellan Telescope and Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. today announced the start of manufacturing and assembly of the largest telescope mount built in the United States. The 39-meter-tall precision moving structure was developed in partnership with OHB Digital Connect. In 2022, Ingersoll finalized its 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility expansion, equipping it with the nation’s newest and largest gantry mill to construct the mount. Once assembled, the mount will undergo performance testing before being shipped nearly 6,000 miles to the Giant Magellan Telescope site in Chile for reassembly.

Manufacturing and assembly of the largest telescope mount built in the United States has begun. In partnership with Ingersoll Machine Tools and OHB Digital Connect, fabrication of the 39-meter-tall precision moving structure is taking place across multiple states over the next six years. When complete, the mount will be shipped to the Giant Magellan Telescope site in Chile for reassembly.

“We are proud to be a part of developing and building the mount structure for the Giant Magellan Telescope. Ingersoll’s rich history of building very large, complex, and very accurate machine tools complements the unique design of the telescope and the impressive engineering capability of our partner company OHB in Germany,” said Jeffrey Kimberly, Chief Operating Officer of Ingersoll Machine Tools. “The collective expertise of this entire team is what makes it possible to build this impressive scientific wonder that will lead to new discoveries that are beyond our imagination with today’s current capabilities.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope mount weighs 2,100 metric tons and is designed to support seven of the world’s largest mirrors, adaptive optics, and scientific instruments. Despite its immense size, the mount is remarkably agile, gliding frictionlessly on a film of oil just 50 microns thick, resisting image quality disruptions and allowing it to track celestial objects billions of light years away. The steel structure sits atop a 22-meter-diameter concrete pier that was engineered to protect the telescope during seismic events in the Chilean Atacama Desert.

Giant Magellan Telescope President Dr. Robert Shelton remarks on the advancement of the telescope mount fabrication to group of industry leaders at Ingersoll Machine Tools facility in Rockford, IL. Image Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation. Leaders gather to celebrate the start of manufacturing and assembly of the Giant Magellan Telescope mount at Ingersoll Machine Tools facility in Rockford, IL (from left to right: Ingersoll Machine Tools Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Kimberly, Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Illinois State Senator Steve Stadelman, Northwestern University Professor Dr. Vicky Kalogera, University of Chicago Professor Dr. Ka Yee Lee, Giant Magellan Telescope President Dr. Robert Shelton). Image Credit: Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation.

Producing the mount with such precision involves a large workforce of skilled engineers, designers, and manufacturing professionals across multiple states. Industry leaders and policymakers recently gathered in Rockford, Illinois, part of America’s manufacturing heartland, to tour the new Ingersoll facilities where the mount will be assembled over the next 6 years using steel sourced from the United States.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope is yet another example of why the world looks to Illinois as a leader in research,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. “This project leverages the expertise of Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford with the brainpower of the University of Chicago to study the outer reaches of our universe. In addition to the discoveries that will impact future generations, the project has created jobs right here in Rockford and is an exciting development in astronomy.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be 200 times more powerful than today’s best telescopes. This power stems not just from its large 25.4-meter diameter primary mirror array, but also from the synergistic performance of its efficient optical design and advanced scientific instruments. The innovative design makes the Giant Magellan Telescope unique among the new class of “extremely large telescopes” for its ability to deliver the highest performing combination of image quality, field of view, and light sensitivity ever achieved.

“Our cost-effective design enables us to build the Giant Magellan Telescope faster and with less risk, all while achieving the broadest range of scientific capabilities,” said Robert Shelton, President of the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Ingersoll’s global experience in manufacturing giant precision structures has been instrumental on our way to becoming one of the most powerful ground-based telescopes in the world.”

Advancement of mount fabrication marks a major milestone for the Giant Magellan Telescope, now 40% under construction across 36 states and on track to be operational in Chile by the early 2030s.

About

Ingersoll Machine Tools

Founded in 1891, since 2003 Ingersoll Machine Tools is part of the Italian holding Camozzi Group, an international player specializing in the engineering and production of high-tech components and solutions for industrial automation. The Group also designs and manufactures intelligent cyber-physical systems, leveraging its longstanding expertise in mechatronics. Additionally, it produces high-tech textile machines, special machine tools and develops advanced solutions for additive manufacturing dedicated to the aerospace, naval, and energy industries.

Since its inception, Ingersoll Machine Tools Inc. has been an iconic name in the milling machines sector, successfully serving the defense and then the newborn aeronautics/aerospace industry. During the 1990s Ingersoll pioneered the automatic fiber placement and the automatic tape laying technologies for composite manufacturing and became one of the leaders for this market. Since 2015, the expertise, methodologies, and techniques acquired in developing composite manufacturing have served as an extraordinary technological springboard that allowed Ingersoll to enter the additive manufacturing sector and to immediately diversify from the competition with its offer of wide-and-high 3D printers (MasterPrint®) that completes and complements its composite and subtractive products portfolio.

Giant Magellan Telescope

The Giant Magellan Telescope is the future of space exploration from Earth. Using seven of the world’s largest mirrors, the 25.4-meter telescope will produce the most detailed images ever taken of our Universe. It will uncover the cosmic mysteries of dark matter, investigate the origins of the chemical elements, and search for signs of life on distant planets. The Giant Magellan Telescope is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 14 universities and research institutions from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan. The telescope is being built in America and will be reassembled and completed in Chile by the early 2030s. The Universe Awaits at giantmagellan.org.

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