To be specific, a project like the TMT started in 2003 or so (17 years ago) and was a follow-up to 3 other projects that had been going on for a while. So we ar

To be specific, a project like the TMT started in 2003 or so (17 years ago) and was a follow-up to 3 other projects that had been going on for a while. So we are talking 20 - 25 years of funding to get to one telescope. Very cool, but this telescope is going to be followed by the same "you can't do that" issues that spacex has always faced - but on land (ie, hawaii will fight it, canary islands will fight it etc). Now the opportunity if you talk to astronomers for space based observation is incredible. I think folks in canada have tried to get canada off the TMT pork barrel train (anyone have the details of these efforts?)