TMT will not come to La Palma as Canary Islands seek bigger plans

The TMT giant telescope will not be coming to La Palma. The Canary Islands are keen to attract further major astronomical facilities. The partners were unable to reach a consensus on Spain's financial offer.

13 Oct 2026, 13:30 2 min read

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The 30-metre TMT telescope will not be coming to La Palma.
The TMT partners did not agree to the Spanish financial offer and withdrew on 18 September.
Despite the rejection, the Canary Islands government intends to establish further telescopes and research facilities on the islands.

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Migdalia Machín, the Canary Islands Government’s Minister for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, has said that the decision not to install the Thirty-Metre Telescope (TMT) on La Palma is a «setback», but does not hinder the aim of continuing to attract major scientific infrastructure to the archipelago, such as more major telescopes.

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Machín made these remarks on Tuesday during the plenary session of Parliament, in response to a question from CC MP Diana Lorenzo regarding the reasons given for rejecting the application from the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory.

«The Canary Islands continue to enjoy exceptional conditions for further progress in all areas relating to scientific knowledge, and La Palma continues to play a key role in this endeavour,» stated the regional minister, who added that continuing to host new telescopes is a goal that the regional government «will not abandon».

La Palma: TMT partners rejected the Spanish financial offer

Machín pointed out that La Palma emerged as an alternative site for the TMT, initially planned for Hawaii, due to the quality of its skies and the international prestige of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC); however, on 18 September, the TMT International Observatory informed the IAC and the Ministry of Science that its partners had not reached the necessary consensus to accept the Spanish financial offer and begin construction on La Palma.

Machín has argued that the decision does not detract from the scientific conditions of the Canary Islands and has emphasised that the Government will continue to work towards bringing new astronomical facilities to the islands.