Space mission · Netherlands
How much Dutch-government research-infrastructure funding was awarded to LOFAR in 2003?
LOFAR is a distributed low-frequency radio telescope designed and built by ASTRON in the Netherlands. It later expanded to stations in several European countries and was officially opened on 12 June 2010. In 2003, the Dutch government awarded EUR 52 million in public funding specifically for the LOFAR research infrastructure. The parliamentary answer says the consortium had to find other funding for the remaining parts of its proposal, so the grant must not be described as the telescope's total construction cost.
Financing amount
€52 million
Approximately $58.82 million
Cost basis: 2003
The short answer
€52 million
The Dutch government awarded EUR 52 million in 2003 for LOFAR research infrastructure. At the World Bank's 2003 annual average rate of 0.88404792718493 EUR per USD, that corresponds to about USD 58.82 million in nominal 2003 dollars.
Cost evidence
Basis of the published figure
What the number includes
Cost scope
This figure is one Dutch public subsidy. Parliament explicitly said the consortium needed other financing for the remaining parts of the proposal. It is not the total cost of LOFAR, its later international stations or later upgrades.
Project record
Opened or launched
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy12 June 2010
Project context
About LOFAR
ASTRON built the original Dutch telescope, which later became an international array. Max Planck dates its official opening to 12 June 2010.
Reading the data
How to interpret the figure
The euro amount comes from the Dutch government's answer to Parliament about its 2003 decision. The dollar equivalent uses the World Bank 2003 euro-area annual average; it is a historical currency conversion, not an inflation adjustment.