Giant Magellan Telescope Tender

ScopeThe bones of a huge next-generation telescope now have a builder.The organization managing the development of the Giant Magellan Telescope GMT has signed a 135 million contract with MT Mechatronics and Ingersoll Machine Tools to construct and install the projects precision steel structure. The steel structure will likely arrive in Chile in 2025 and be ready to accept mirrors by 2028. GMT is now expected to open its eyes in 2029 a few years later than previously planned. First light had been targeted for the mid-2020s.The 1800-ton structure is the multipurpose skeleton of the GMT which is under construction in the Chilean Andes. It will hold the telescopes mirrors and allow the big observatory to track celestial objects smoothly across the sky.When its finished the steel structure complete with mirrors and telescope instruments will weigh 2100 tons. The entire thing will float on a layer of oil just 50 microns 0.002 inches thick allowing the GMT to track cosmic objects across the sky smoothly without much interference from friction