ALMA Timeline

• 1995: NRAO/ESO/NAOJ joint site testing with Chile
• May 1998: Start of Phase I (Design & Development)
• June 1999: U.S./European Memorandum of Understanding for Design & Development
• February 2003: Final North American / European ALMA Agreement
• April 2003: Testing of first prototype antenna begins at the ATF site in New Mexico
• October 2004: Opening of Joint ALMA Office, Santiago, Chile
• July 2005: North American contract for up to 32 ALMA production antennas
• 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" dectect by two linked antennas at the ATF
• April 2007: Delivery of first ALMA production antenna to Chile
• mid-2009: Two-antenna interferometry at the OSF
• late 2009: Three-antenna interferometry and closure phase at the AOS
• early 2010: Commissioning and Science Verification starts
• early 2011: Deadline for Early Science proposals
• mid-2011: Early Science begins
• 2012: Inauguration
• 2013: Completion of Construction