University of Hawaiʻi to decommission third telescope

Aging facilities and funding challenges, along with the obligations contained in the University of Hawaiʻi Master Plan, has led to the decision to end science operations at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope this year.

Given the expiration of the University of Hawaiʻi master lease in 2033, science operations at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope will conclude on Sept. 15, 2026, and the University of Hawaiʻi will start the decommissioning process by 2030.

In 2025, the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy announced plans to remove the observatory following the conclusion of its science mission. The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) will become the third Maunakea telescope to be decommissioned.

The U.S. Naval Observatory has sponsored scientific research at UKIRT for many years, supporting decades of discovery through the telescope.

“UKIRT has had an extraordinary run and has been one of the most prolific telescopes on the planet,” said Doug Simons, director of the Institute for Astronomy. “For nearly five decades it has expanded our understanding of the universe, helped train generations of astronomers and strengthened Hawaiʻi’s reputation as one of the world’s premier locations for astronomical discovery.”

The Institute for Astronomy assumed ownership of UKIRT in 2014 after the United Kingdom ended funding for the facility. The telescopes on Maunakea rank among the world’s most scientifically productive collections of observatories, and UKIRT has been an important contributor to that legacy.

Since opening in 1979, it has helped scientists understand how stars and planets form, map vast regions of the Milky Way and study distant galaxies.

Eight full-time employees currently support UKIRT operations and will continue to have the opportunity to support operations through the Sept. 15 closure date.

The decommissioning of the first two Maunakea telescopes, the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory and the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Hōkū Keʻa Observatory, was completed in 2024. Under the University of Hawaiʻi-developed Maunakea Master Plan and Maunakea Comprehensive Management Plan, the university committed to reducing the number of observatories on Maunakea while continuing world-class astronomy and responsible stewardship.

Guided by the Center for Maunakea Stewardship’s Decommissioning Plan for the Maunakea Observatories, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship oversaw the first two decommissioning projects. This fall, the University of Hawaiʻi will hire a consultant to develop a detailed cost estimate, project schedule and permitting plan for the UKIRT decommissioning.

The construction company selected for the project will coordinate closely with the Center for Maunakea Stewardship, the Institute for Astronomy, and other University of Hawaiʻi offices, building on the practices established during the previous decommissioning projects. Those practices include cultural training for construction crews and the integration of Native Hawaiian protocol into every stage of the work, from deconstruction through site restoration.

“Decommissioning is about honoring our commitment to care for Maunakea,” said Greg Chun, Center for Maunakea Stewardship executive director. “Every decommissioning project is an opportunity to demonstrate that our commitment extends beyond astronomy to restoring these sites with care, respect and purpose.”

Management responsibilities for Maunakea are transitioning from the Center for Maunakea Stewardship to the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority, established by the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 2022.

Throughout the UKIRT planning, permitting and decommissioning process, the Center for Maunakea Stewardship will continue working closely with the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority while engaging the Hawaiʻi Island community.