Madrid (EFE).- The Ministry of Science and Innovation will allocate 47.8 million euros to the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) between 2023 and 2030, as agreed on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers.
The Gran Telescopio Canarias is part of the Map of Singular Scientific and Technical Facilities (ICTS) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation and it is the largest optical and infrared telescope built to date in the world, reports a note from this department.
Thanks to the GTC, the Spanish astronomical community, together with its partners in this project from Mexico and the United States, have a unique observation instrument located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, on the island of La Palma.
The Gran Telescopio Canarias belongs to the Grantecan public limited company, in which the General Administration of the State and the Canary Islands has a 50 percent stake, which will contribute 23.3 million euros to the GTC in the same period.
Currently, 80 people work at Grantecan including scientific personnel, engineers, technicians and administrative personnel.
After 14 years of operation, it continues to be a telescope with state-of-the-art technology and at the forefront of international scientific research, emphasizes the note from the Ministry.
“This financing agreement will make it possible to increase the competitiveness of the GTC, ensuring its operational needs and providing it with new instrumentation to face new scientific challenges”, he adds. EFE