A new state-of-the-art planetarium dome being built in the Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram has been forced to delay its grand opening after design flaws forced the under-construction Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM) to scrap previous plans.
Originally planned to open later this month, Priyadarshini Planetarium will now debut in April.
“In the original design, 48 poles had to be angled at precisely 15 degrees to hold up the (museum's) dome,” said KSSTM director Arul Jerald Prakash speaking to
New Indian Express. “Any slight variation could result in distortion of the images displayed on the dome. We found that the floor will not not bear the weight of the entire structure and now we are planning a more sturdy design which is more suitable to our conditions.”
German manufacturer Carl Zeiss is supplying the dome, which is 17m (55.7ft) in diameter. The new plan and tenders will be finalised on 2 February at which point Zeiss will supervise the dome's construction.
Aside from the dome, the full RS125m (US$2m, €1.7m, £1.3m) redevelopment of the planetarium has been completed and it is expected the facility will reopen soon after the dome’s completion.
