The European Solar Telescope has given a key shift towards its construction phase in La Palma Thanks to two parallel milestones: the creation of a specific government body and the successful completion of the review of its building and civil engineering design. This double advance puts the project on the starting line for its deployment in the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory.
With the new Council of Government Representatives, the EST goes from being a strictly scientific drive to a collaboration supported by European governmentsWhile the technical validation obtained in the fall strengthens the guarantees for moving to the next phase. In addition, financial framework in consolidation which includes confirmed contributions from Spain and Slovakia.
A key political boost for the project
The constitution of the Council of Government Representatives (BGR) implies the first formal commitment at the state level with the EST, paving the way for the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (EST ERIC), which will take over the construction and operation of the telescope.
The first BGR meeting, organized by Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities in Madrid on October 28, it was attended by delegations from Spain, Slovakia and the Czech RepublicIn that session, the mandate of the body was approved, the management positions were elected, and a plan was drawn up. roadmap for establishing ERIC.
In addition to the institutional sphere, scientific leaders from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), the Institute of Astrophysics of AndalucÃa (IAA-CSIC) and the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (AISAS), strengthening the link between political planning and the technical execution of the project.
La Canary Islands Foundation of the European Solar TelescopeThe coordinator of the provisional phase presented to the Council the progress made, as well as the next technical and administrative milestones needed to maintain the pace towards construction in La Palma.
Spain-Slovakia agreement and financing commitments
As a notable result, Spain and Slovakia signed a Memorandum of Understanding October 28, signed by Eva Ortega-PaÃno y Jakub Birka, which formalizes Slovak participation in the project and anticipates greater government support from other countries.
The overall budget for the EST amounts to 200 millones de eurosSpain has confirmed the 25% of the cost (about 50 million), while Slovakia plans to contribute with around the 10% (around 20 million), consolidating a European co-financing scheme for a first-rate infrastructure.
The current scientific consortium brings together more than 30 institutions from 18 countriescoordinated by the IAC and the IAA-CSIC, and provides the technical and organizational basis on which the future will be built ERIC from the EST.
Validated civil works design and schedule
The project passed with a "very positive" evaluation preliminary design review of building and civil works, a process initiated on September 2nd and culminated with face-to-face meetings on October 21st and 22nd in IACTEC (Tenerife)This milestone allows us to enter the detailed design phase with confidence.
The updated calendar places the drafting of the basic project and the environmental permitting in 2026. The implementation phase will begin after the establishment of the ERIC-ESTwith the aim of achieving the so-called scientific "first light" around 2029provided that the financial commitment of the partners is maintained.
The preliminary design stage has been supported by Horizon 2020 program of the EU and of Canary Islands GovernmentThe creation of the Canary Islands Foundation EST It gives the project its own legal personality and facilitates coordination from the archipelago.
Technology to study the Sun in unprecedented detail
The EST will integrate a 4,2 meter primary mirror and a structure about 44 meters high, designed to reach a spatial resolution close to 20 km on the solar surface, far exceeding current capabilities in Europe.
Thanks to its advanced adaptive optics a set of instruments that will operate simultaneously in visible and near-infrared light, and complemented by techniques such as artificial solar eclipseThe telescope will address the study of Magnetic coupling between the photosphere and the chromosphere with an extraordinary level of detail.
Its scientific objectives include the dynamics, structure, and energy of the lower solar atmosphere, as well as the processes that trigger eruptions and coronal mass ejectionsphenomena that influence what is known as space weather and can affect satellites, communications and power grids.
La Palma, a privileged location for solar physics
Following the meeting in Madrid, the delegations visited the Roque de los Muchachos Observatorywhere the telescope will be located. At an altitude of 2.396 meters and sheltered by the 31 / 1988 In terms of protecting astronomical quality, the site offers exceptional observation conditions.
During the visit, he joined Javier Franco Ant, director of the ACIISI of the Government of the Canary Islands, an institution that has supported the project since its preparatory phase and has contributed to consolidating the EST office in the islands.
The selection of the ORM reinforces the Canary Islands as a global hub for terrestrial astronomy and generates synergies with other internationally renowned infrastructures, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTAO)who share a commitment to cutting-edge science in Europe.
A strategic project for Europe
The EST is listed in the roadmap of European Strategic Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) and is promoted by the European Association for Solar Telescopes (EAST)and is related to projects of European solar observation, with an industrial impact that will extend throughout the entire value chain: large format optics, thermal control, rapid instrumentation and data management.
Project managers, such as Manuel Collados (IAC), emphasize that the involvement of several governments marks a decisive milestone and seals a shared commitment to boost solar research with an unprecedented infrastructure on the continent.
With the political backing of the BGR, the technical review passed, and financial commitments in place, the European Solar Telescope about its construction in La Palma and positions Europe to lead in terrestrial solar physics, improving the prediction of space weather and protect critical infrastructure from a leading observatory in the Atlantic.
