CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE CORP

OBSERVATORY OPERATIONS CANADA-FRANCE-HAWAII TELESCOPE (CFHT) IS A HIGH-TECH SERVICE PROVIDER DELIVERING EXQUISITE ASTRONOMICAL DATA LEADING TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES AT THE FOREFRONT OF TODAY'S ASTRONOMY. CFHT OPERATES, MAINTAINS, AND DEVELOPS STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUMENTATION ON ITS TELESCOPE LOCATED AT THE TOP OF MAUNAKEA IN HAWAI'I, ONE OF THE BEST SITES IN THE WORLD FOR ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH, SERVICING THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITIES FROM CANADA, FRANCE, AND HAWAI'I, AND THROUGH COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH TAIWAN AND CHINA. IN ADDITION, CFHT HAS TRAINED STAFF MEMBERS WHO PERFORM ALL SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS ON BEHALF OF ITS ASTRONOMICAL COMMUNITY AND PROCESS THE DATA STEMMING FROM THOSE OBSERVATIONS. FOR 356 OF THE 365 NIGHTS OF 2025, THE SCHEDULE HAD ONE OF OUR 5 INSTRUMENTS ON THE TELESCOPE AND ACQUIRED DATA AS WEATHER PERMITTED. DURING THE REMAINING 9 NIGHTS, THE TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC STAFF PERFORMED A SCHEDULED TECHNICAL ACTIVITY TO RECOAT THE PRIMARY MIRROR OF THE TELESCOPE, A SERIES OF TASKS THAT ARE SCHEDULED EVERY 3 YEARS. IN ADDITION TO THREE LARGE PROGRAMS INVOLVING DOZENS OF SCIENTISTS FROM COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE, CFHT PERFORMED OBSERVATIONS FOR OVER 100 PROPOSALS, REPRESENTING HUNDREDS OF ACTIVE COLLABORATORS. SOME OF THESE PROPOSALS WERE FROM HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE MAUNAKEA SCHOLARS PROGRAM ALSO IN 2025, A LITTLE OVER 200 PUBLICATIONS APPEARED IN REFEREED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS BASED ON PRIOR YEARS' OBSERVATIONS AT CFHT. CFHT'S COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY VIA ITS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS AND CULTURAL CENTERS. THE APPROACH SHOWCASES CFHT'S STAFF, SCIENCE, AND INSTRUMENTATION, AND ENGAGES HAWAI'I ISLAND KEIKI AND THEIR FAMILIES. CFHT SUPPORTED OUTREACH INITIATIVES AIMED AT LOCAL STUDENTS. CFHT CONTINUES TO WORK WITH THE "JOURNEY THROUGH THE UNIVERSE" PROGRAM, SUPPORTING CAREER PANELS AND CLASSROOM VISITS FOR STUDENTS ACROSS HAWAI'I ISLAND. TEACHERS SELECT A TOPIC FOR THEIR CLASSROOM. TOPICS EITHER SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, REINFORCING CONTENT LIKE PHASES OF THE MOON, HOW STARS MOVE ACROSS THE SKY, ETC., OR FOCUS ON STUDENT INTERESTS (BLACK HOLES, EXOPLANETS, ETC.). STAFF MEMBERS VISIT THE LOCAL WAIMEA LIBRARY TWICE A YEAR FOR "ASTRO BASH AND "ENGINEERING BASH", SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING EVENTS THAT INCLUDE INDOOR/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND DISPLAYS. OLDER STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS LIKE THE MAUNAKEA SCHOLARS ARE OFFERED TOURS OF OUR SUMMIT FACILITY, WHILE YOUNGER STUDENTS VISIT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN WAIMEA. OTHER EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC INCLUDED EVENINGS OF STARGAZING, ASTRO DAY EVENTS IN THE TWO MAJOR CITIES ON THE ISLAND, HILO AND KONA, AND TOURS OF OUR SUMMIT FACILITY. BEYOND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, CFHT STAFF MEMBERS MENTOR STUDENTS AT THE LOCAL SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATE IN FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENTS OVER THE SUMMER. PROGRAM SERVICE EXPENSES INCLUDE REIMBURSED EXPENSES OF $737,018 FOR ASTRONOMER SERVICES (REIMBURSED ASTRONOMER SERVICES), AND $143,555 IN MISCELLANEOUS DIRECT REIMBURSED EXPENSES RELATED TO CARRYING OUT ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH ON MAUNAKEA.

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES - MAUNAKEA SPECTROSCOPIC EXPLORER (MSE) PROJECT IN DECEMBER 2024, THE CFHT BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDED NOT APPROVING ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR MSE ACTIVITIES BEYOND WHAT IS STRICTLY NECESSARY TO RESPONSIBLY AND SAFELY STOP CURRENT OPERATIONS. FOLLOWING THIS RECOMMENDATION, CFHT HALTED ALL MSE ACTIVITIES IN 2025. WHILE MSE REMAINS THE LONG-TERM GOAL FOR THE CFHT SITE, ITS IMMEDIATE FOCUS IS TO ENSURE IT REMAINS A VIABLE OPERATIONAL ENTITY UNTIL MSE CAN COMMENCE UNDER THE NEW ASTRONOMY LEASE AT MAUNAKEA.