The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project, a $1.4 billion astronomical observatory, had a planned construction launch date of July 17.

However, the project has faced stiff opposition from Native Hawaiians and allies due to its planned construction site atop the sacred mountain of Mauna Kea, a decision that raises issues of Native Hawaiian sovereignty and who gets to decide what happens on ancestral indigenous lands.

At the same time, public polling conducted in 2018, before the start of the most recent protests, indicates that support for the telescope has been strong throughout the state, including among the Native Hawaiian community.