An unprecedented challenge that demands true teamwork
The planning and building of the ELT is a massive undertaking and one that requires close cooperation between hundreds of technical experts based all over the world. Simply travelling to the ELT site in the middle of Chile’s Atacama Desert is a logistical challenge, so processing and transporting the massive mirrors and components has pushed SCHOTT and its partners to new levels of dedication and innovation.
Mirror substrate made by
SCHOTT
Shaped, polished and assembled by
Safran-Reosc, France
Segment support system units for the primary mirror
CESA (Spain) VDL (Netherlands)
Support cells for M2 and M3 mirrors
SENER group (Spain)
Quaternary mirror
AdOptica, INAF (Italy)
Dome construction
ACe consortium (Italy)
ELT project owner
ESO, the European Southern Observatory