A group hoping to establish a US$60m science centre complex in Austin, Texas, US, is still optimistic that the plans will be successful.

Austin Planetarium Group was founded in 2004 to campaign for the attraction to be built in the city.

The group's hopes have now received a boost by the arrival of astrophysicist Torvald Hessel, who has been named the non-profit group's executive director.

Hessel said: "Austin is the largest city in the United States without a planetarium. As a matter of fact, of the top 50 largest cities, Austin ranks 16th, but we're the only one without a planetarium or science museum.

"That pathetic statistic lies at the core of our project. The Austin planetarium is dedicated to creating a world-class planetarium, science museum and technology centre to inspire Central Texas children and adults to learn about the wonders of science and space exploration."

Plans include creating a science hub with four elements - the 250-seater planetarium, a science museum, a technology centre and a Challenger Learning Center.

The concept for Challenger Learning Centers evolved from the loss of Challenger 51-L, the "Teacher in Space" mission. The centres provide hands-on team role-playing experiences for school field trips, and are also being used by service organizations and for corporate team-building.

Hessel added that if the group's aims of purchasing land is successful this year, the breaking of ground on the project could take place in late 2011 with an opening date in 2014. Details: www.austinplanetarium.org