Leighton Chajnantor Telescope

M3 continues its collaboration with the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT) Project, supporting the relocation and reestablishment of the 10.4-meter radio telescope atop Cerro Toco in northern Chile. Formerly housed in the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) on Mauna Kea, the LCT is now entering a new operational chapter, starting a new life in the Southern Hemisphere. M3 played a critical role in decommissioning the original Mauna Kea site—leading the disassembly of the telescope, coordinating site restoration efforts, and successfully achieving full environmental renaturalization.

As part of the ongoing conceptual design phase, M3 is working closely with the Caltech-led project team to evaluate several enclosure concepts tailored for the extreme environmental conditions at over 5,000 meters elevation. Current options include: a modified CSO dome adapted for Cerro Toco’s seismic and wind profiles; a bi-parting carousel structure modeled after the MMT enclosure on Mt. Hopkins; a panelized rotating enclosure inspired by the SMT on Mt. Graham; and a cost-efficient roll-off design leveraging off-the-shelf construction materials commonly used in commercial building systems.

Each concept has undergone a basic structural analysis and early-stage cost modeling, allowing the team to weigh technical feasibility against budget constraints. M3’s integrated architectural and engineering support ensures the enclosure will meet both scientific performance needs and construction practicality in a remote, high-altitude setting.

The project remains in the conceptual design phase, with enclosure design decisions serving as a critical step toward defining the full site development scope. M3 is excited to contribute its observatory design expertise to help realize the next phase of this important telescope’s legacy.