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It was Kuiper, in fact, who had drawn Menzel's attention to the site. Over a period of years it had become clear to Menzel that Harvard was losing valuable personnel because it didn't have an adequate telescope. Menzel was in the process of looking for a site. Despite his determination, Kuiper was beginning to lose faith in the project. He wrote to Oran Nicks, the director of the lunar and planetary program at NASA, telling him that if NASA felt that he was creating a problem he would gladly withdraw from the THE EARLY YEARS 33 project, as long as the site was properly developed by competent people.

The first thing they did was consider a mirror about half as thick as it should have been. This would save a lot, but it meant that the mirror would need substantial back support, if it wasn't to sag and distort as it was moved from position to position. Design of a support cell began in 1973. Calculations suggested 52 CHAPTER 3 The United Kingdom infrared telescope, EXPANSION AND NEW TELESCOPES 53 that if supported correctly, a thin mirror could approach the performance of a conventional thick one.

It was critical that it be placed at a high altitude where the infrared was accessible. James Westphal was commissioned to look for a site. He checked out mountains in the United States, Chile, and Mexico and decided that Mauna Kea was the best. With the news that the telescope might be built on Mauna Kea, a conflict soon arose between the University of Hawaii and the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona had a strong infrared group that preferred to have the telescope as close to them as possible—preferably on Mount Lemmon in Arizona.