The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) is currently closed due to our inability to reach the telescope site (Sierra Negra) via our normal high-altitude site road (above 3300m). During the last few weeks, the residents of Texmalaquilla, the last village that the LMT staff and visiting scientists travel through to gain access to our site road, […]
The Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) is currently closed due to our inability to reach the telescope site (Sierra Negra) via our normal high-altitude site road (above 3300m). During the last few weeks, the residents of Texmalaquilla, the last village that the LMT staff and visiting scientists travel through to gain access to our site road, have closed the public road in Texamalaquilla and prevented our means of approach to the telescope and more generally the access to the National Park (Pico de Orizaba) via that same route.
The principal problem is due to a series of demands by residents of Texmalaquilla related to improving the village infrastructure. The solution to this issue is the responsibility of the local and state government. However, although the LMT and the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) cannot solve these problems directly, we are engaged in constant communication with the different authorities to highlight the negative impact of this situation on the scientific operation of the telescope and we insist on an appropriate solution that respects the needs of our local community in Texmalaquilla and our commitment to deliver high quality scientific data to our national and international user communities. Discussions, meetings and negotiations between government officials and representatives of Texmalaquilla are on-going, and we hope for a positive resolution.
In the meantime we are using an alternative route to travel to the 4600m site for essential maintenance and to provide the necessary security and vigilance over the LMT site infrastructure. However this off-road track is not in a suitable condition for regular travel and to continue science operations.
We will keep the community informed on the progress of the negotiations.
A joint project of the Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica and the University of Massachusetts.
The LMT is included in CONACYT's National Laboratories network.
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