Table of Contents
Public Information
Although most of the information on this wiki is aimed at professional observers, the following material may interest a broader audience.
Decommissioning information
Caltech is decommissioning the CSO and restoring the site. The telescope ceased scientific operations in late 2015, after which all astronomical instruments were removed from the facility. Decommissioning of the CSO is being carried out according to the Conservation District Use Permit (CDUP) issued by the State of Hawaiʻi's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) in January 2022. CSO is the first observatory to be removed under the 2010 Decommissioning Plan for Maunakea Observatories.
If you'd like to receive email updates about the decommissioning, click here.
Telescope Disassembly and Removal
The Leighton Telescope of the CSO is being disassembled prior to removal from Maunakea. It will be transported to the Kawaihae Harbor and shipped to Chile for reuse. This page chronicles some notable steps in the process, with photos:
Documents
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit
Received from Hawaii Department of Health on May 4, 2022:
- Permit: pdf
Conservation District Use Permit
Approved by BLNR January 14, 2022; issued by DLNR, January 18, 2022; returned by Caltech January 24, 2022.
Final Environmental Assessment
Published December 8, 2021:
Draft Environmental Assessment
The Draft EA was open for public comment September 8, 2021 - November 4, 2021:
- Body: pdf (19MB)
- Appendices A, B, and C of the EA: pdf (47MB)
- Appendices D through J of the EA: pdf (24MB)
The public comment period has closed.
Comments should be submitted to
Planning Solutions, Inc.
Attn: Mākena White, AICP
711 Kapiʻolani Boulevard, Suite 950
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813
cso-decom@caltech.edu
There were three public workshops, conducted via zoom, presenting the Draft EA with Q&A. Recordings of each meeting can be found below:
- Tuesday, September 28th, at 11:30 a.m. recording (mp4)
- Wednesday, September 29th, at 4:30 p.m. recording (mp4)
- Thursday, September 30th, at 6:00 p.m. recording (mp4)
Background Information
Submitted Documents
- The Final Environmental Assessment is available above and from the Environmental Review Program
- The Draft Environmental Assessment is available above and from the Environmental Review Program
- The Center for Maunakea Stewardship (CMS) maintains a page with other public decommissioning documents: Link
Announcements
- 2023 September 22: Caltech Telescope Removed; Deconstruction to Begin (CSO)
- 2023 September 7: 120-Ton Crane Headed up Maunakea this Month; Caltech Telescope to Be Removed (CSO)
- 2023 August 28: Removal of Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Telescope from Maunakea Underway (CSO)
- 2023 August 28: Removal of Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Telescope from Maunakea Underway (Caltech)
- 2023 August 28: Removal of Caltech Telescope from Maunakea is underway (U. Hawaii)
- 2023 June 2: Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Telescope Removal Update (CSO)
- 2023 June 2: Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Telescope Removal Update (Caltech)
- 2023 June 2: Updated plan for removal of Maunakea observatory (U. Hawaii)
- 2023 April 10: Removal of Maunakea observatory to begin in spring (U. Hawaii)
- 2023 January 25: Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Decommissioning Update (CSO)
- 2023 January 20: Decommissioning update for Maunakea telescope (U. Hawaii)
- 2022 August 2: Deconstruction of Maunakea telescope set to begin (U. Hawaii)
- 2022 February 13: Maunakea telescope to be decommissioned this summer (U. Hawaii)
- 2021 September 8: Caltech releases draft environmental assessment for Maunakea telescope removal (U. Hawaii)
- 2021 June 4: Maunakea telescope one step closer to decommissioning (U. Hawaii)
- 2021 February 12: Update on CSO decommissioning (CSO)
- 2020 February 20: Decommissioning of 2 Maunakea telescopes expected to be complete by 2023 (U. Hawaii)
- 2017 December 4: Public Input Sought on Removal of Caltech Submillimeter Observatory from Maunakea (CSO)
- 2017 December 4: Caltech seeks public input on decommissioning of its Maunakea telescope (U. Hawaii)
Media Coverage
2023
- 2023 October 4 • Update: CSO Removal from Maunakea • Big Island Video News
- 2023 September 24 • Caltech telescope removed from Maunakea summit • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 September 22 • Deconstruction of Caltech Telescope observatory begins atop Mauna Kea • KITV Island News
- 2023 September 8 • Maunakea telescope removal slated for next week • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 August 30 • Removal Of CSO Telescope From Maunakea Underway • Big Island Video News
- 2023 August 29 • Removal Of Mauna Kea Telescope Has Begun • Honolulu Civil Beat
- 2023 August 29 • Work progresses on CSO decommissioning: Telescope’s secondary mirror removed last week • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 August 11 • Maunakea observatories’ decommissioning is imminent • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 June 5 • Observatory telescope mirror to be disassembled in pieces • Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- 2023 June 5 • Dismantling of CSO mirror to ease move; decommissioning to be complete by end of summer • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 April 9 • Caltech observatory ready for removal from Mauna Kea • Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- 2023 April 7 • Practice run planned for the removal of telescope’s mirror • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 April 6 • Saddle Road is shutting down to remove Maunakea observatory. But when? • Big Island Now
- 2023 April 6 • Maunakea Telescope Removal Mapped Out • Big Island Video News
- 2023 April 6 • Caltech Plans To Decommission Telescope On Mauna Kea Later This Spring • Honolulu Civil Beat
- 2023 March 15 • Heavy snow won’t delay removal of observatories • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 January 23 • Decommissioning of Caltech observatory on Maunakea summit on track for this year • Big Island Now
- 2023 January 20 • CSO ready for removal; decommissioning of Maunakea observatory to begin this spring • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2023 January 19 • Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Removal Update • Big Island Video News
Earlier
- 2022 August 5 • Crews to soon begin process of dismantling observatory • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2022 August 2 • Caltech Submillimeter Observatory Decommissioning Update • Big Island Video News
- 2022 February 15 • Removal Of Mauna Kea Telescope Set For Later This Year • Honolulu Civil Beat
- 2022 February 13 • Maunakea Telescope Removal To Begin This Summer • Big Island Video News
- 2022 January 15 • Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on track to be removed later this year • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2021 March 4 • CSO Telescope Could be Gone by 2022 • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2020 February 26 • Date for Removal of Two Maunakea telescopes pushed back • West Hawaii Today
- 2020 January 12 • Removal of Observatory on Schedule • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2019 September 28 • Maunakea CSO Decommissioning Update • Big Island Video News
- 2017 December 5 • Preparing for removal • Hawaii Tribune-Herald
- 2017 December 4 • Process starts to decommission CSO from Mauna Kea • Big Island Video News
General information
- Ph. D. TV visited the CSO in 2012.
