The Government of Spain invests €37 million in the construction of the European Extremely Large Telescope

Under the agreement, Spain will maintain its participation in this scientific infrastructure, which is being built in the Atacama Desert in Chile, and which will be the largest telescope in the world. It will also give our country better access to the future use of the telescope.

The Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, said that this contribution will also allow Spanish companies to take part in the contracts for the construction of the telescope, thanks to the principle of return applicable in international organisations of this type.

Morant stressed that this investment will boost the opening of new markets in Spain and industry training in high technologies in the fields of optics, mechanics and aerospace.

In addition, Spain is expected to contribute around €7.3 million for the construction of this infrastructure in 2023.

European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT)

The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) will be able to increase the current observing possibilities by more than five thousand times. Thanks to 789 hexagonal mirrors that will form a parabola 39.3 metres in diameter, it will be able to capture more light than existing optical telescopes and provide images 15 times sharper than those provided by instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope.

Non official translation