UK Still Hopeful of Participating in Gemini Project

There is a glimmer of hope that the UK would not have to withdraw completely from the Gemini Project due to the recent budget constraints.

But last week it emerged that the council was now in discussions with the observatory about future collaboration.

Prof Michael Rowan-Robinson, president of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), welcomed the news that "the stand-off between the STFC and the board of the Gemini Observatory has been replaced by constructive discussion".

If this is true, it offers one very rare piece of good news, considering that a week ago, the STFC reaffirmed UK's withdrawal from the ILC collaboration, putting the whole effort into jeopardy of being abandoned.

Zz.