Prospects for the William Herschel Telescope

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer project’s preliminary design phase start coincides with planned and unplanned events in the national and international astronomy landscape. As the decade draws to a close, most MSE participants are undergoing national strategic planning for key future astronomical development. There are processes similar to the Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics in the US. Much of the Project Office activities since our last 2018 report have been aligned in supporting these strategic plans. A vital activity related to the Maunakea Observatories (MKO), including the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) Corporation and Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer, is to secure future access to the mountain for astronomy as affected by the current protest over the Thirty Meter Telescope. Much of the MKO activities have been centered on ensuring the long-term success of astronomy on the mountain beyond 2033. However, the most significant unplanned activity has been managing progress through the ongoing COVID pandemic and anticipating its effects on the timeline and efficacy of upcoming national strategic planning recommendations for astronomy among other national priorities. This paper provides a status report of MSE as it enters the preliminary design phase, and our plan to progress and manage changes in an evolving national and international astronomy landscape.