National Science Foundation Budget Request to Congress Advances Giant Magellan Telescope
On May 30, 2025 the National Science Foundation released its Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request to Congress. In response, the Giant Magellan Telescope released the following statement:
The Giant Magellan Telescope is honored to be included in the National Science Foundation’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request to Congress and selected to advance into its Major Facility Final Design Phase.
Advancing into the Final Design Phase reflects the telescope’s scientific importance, technical maturity, readiness for federal funding, and alignment with national priorities. With 40% of construction already underway and nearly $1 billion in private investment secured, the Giant Magellan Telescope is well positioned to move quickly into full construction with federal funding.
While the budget request signals the National Science Foundation’s intent to move forward, we must wait for official confirmation before commenting further. Once confirmed, we are prepared to privately finance the Final Design Phase.
We are proud to be part of the national effort to ensure American leadership in astronomy for decades to come, and fully committed to our role in the U.S. Extremely Large Telescope Program. We are grateful to the National Science Foundation, the Office of Management and Budget, our partners, and all who support this transformative project.
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 is the work of the GMTO Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and international consortium of 15 universities and research institutions including the University of Arizona, Carnegie Institution for Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, University of Chicago, São Paulo Research Foundation, Texas A&M University, Northwestern University, Harvard University, Astronomy Australia Ltd., Australian National University, Smithsonian Institution, Weizmann Institute of Science, Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Arizona State University. The Giant Magellan is being built in America and will be reassembled Chile. With U.S. federal construction funding, the telescope will be completed in the 2030s. The Universe Awaits at giantmagellan.org.
