ALMA Timeline
1995 | NRAO/ESO/NAOJ joint site testing with Chile |
June 1999 | U.S./European Memorandum of Understanding for Design & Development |
April 2001 | Resolution for ALMA between Europe, North America and Japan |
February 2003 | Final North American / European ALMA Agreement |
April 2003 | Testing of first prototype antenna begins at the ATF site in New Mexico |
November 2003 | Groundbreaking ceremony at ALMA site |
October 2004 | Opening of Joint ALMA Office, Santiago, Chile |
January 2005 | Japanese contract for ACA production antennas |
July 2005 | North American contract for up to 32 ALMA production antennas |
September 2005 | Taiwan joined the ALMA project through National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) |
October 2005 | Groundbreaking at 5000m altitude ALMA Array Operations Site |
December 2005 | European contract for up to 32 ALMA production antennas |
July 2006 | Agreement signed by North America, Europe, and Japan |
March 2007 | "First Fringes" detected by two linked antennas at the ATF |
April 2007 | Arrival of the first ALMA antenna in Chile |
October 2008 | Taiwan (NSC) started a collaboration with North America (NSF) on the ALMA project |
December 2008 | Acceptance of the first ALMA antenna |
January 2009 | Taichung's EA FEIC deliver first receiver to Chile |
May 2009 | Two-antenna interferometry at the OSF |
September 2009 | First move of an ALMA antenna to Chajnantor |
November 2009 | Three-antenna interferometry and closure phase at the AOS |
January 2010 | Commissioning and Science Verification starts |
June 2011 | Deadline for Early Science proposals |
September 2011 | Early Science began on Schedule |
May 2012 | ALMA cycle 1 call for proposals |
Dec 2012 | Taichung's EA FEIC deliver 26 receivers to Chile. |
March 2013 | Inaugration |
June 2014 | Start of Early Science Cycle 2. Thirty-four 12-m antennas in the 12-m Array, nine 7-m antennas in the 7-m Array, and two 12-m antennas in the TP Array. |