Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer

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Artist's impression of the MROI telescope array

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) will be an optical aperture synthesis array composed of up to ten 1.4 meter diameter telescopes. The telescopes making up the astronomical interferometer will be spaced in up to four Y configurations along a baseline distance of up to 340 meters operating at wavelengths between 0.6 and 2.4 micrometres and will be optically linked in order to image astronomical objects with great detail—this configuration will simulate the resolving power of a single telescope up to 340 meters in diameter. As a result of the large number of telescopes in the array, the interferometer will be able to make accurate images of complex astronomical objects many times faster than other existing and planned arrays.

New Mexico Tech began construction of the interferometer facility in earnest in August 2006, letting a contract to construct the 30,056-square-foot (2,792 m²) Beam Combining Facility (BCF) and Array Infrastructure to general construction contractor K.L. House Construction Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico. K.L. House completed principal construction of the $7M facility in January 2008. The BCF will serve as primary administrative and scientific offices of the interferometer facility as well as house the scientific equipment instruments and equipment required to operate and control the facility. The Array Infrastructure is composed of 28 telescope pads, each capable of powering and retrieving data from the telescope.

In July 2007, the contract for the design of the 1.4 meter telescopes was let with Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems (AMOS) S.A.: the first telescope is expected to arrive on site in July 2009, with subsequent telescopes arriving at approximately 4-6 month intervals thereafter.

MROI is part of the Magdalena Ridge Observatory located in the Magdalena mountains of Socorro county, central New Mexico near South Baldy peak and New Mexico Tech's Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research.

The following institutions are involved in the design and construction:

New Mexico Tech (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology)
University of Cambridge Cavendish Astrophysics Group
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

The project is overseen by the United States Naval Research Laboratory.

Dr. Eric J. Bakker is the MRO Interferometer Project Manager
Dr. Michelle Creech-Eakman is the MRO Interferometer Project Scientist
MROI also employs two system architects, a construction representative (for the BCF), six systems engineers, an Information Technology manager, two instrument scientists, site characterization scientist, optical scientist, two lab technicians, and four undergraduate student interns as of April 2008.