Identifying Cost-Favorable Locations for Cosmic Explorer

Abstract

Cosmic Explorer (CE) is a proposed next-generation gravitational-wave observatory that aims to extend our gravitational-wave vision to the edge of the observable universe. With a foundation of technology proven by the National Science Foundation's Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), CE will observe black holes and neutron stars across cosmic time, explore the nature of extreme matter with high fidelity, and probe the nature of gravity and fundamental physics. CE's reference design consists of two widely separated L-shaped detectors to be located in the conterminous United States, one with 20 km arms and one with 40 km arms. As of 2026, CE is in its design and site evaluation phase, with plans to begin observing in the early 2040s together with the Einstein Telescope in Europe. The size of CE observatories---up to an order of magnitude larger than the 4 km LIGO observatories---presents a significant challenge for identifying suitable candidate sites where CE will achieve its science goals, be built within cost boundaries, attract and retain a workforce, and align with community values. In this paper, we report on the design and use of a Python package, the Cosmic Explorer Location Search (CELS) package, to identify cost-favorable sites for CE. For a specified detector location and L-shaped geometry in the conterminous United States, CELS estimates site-preparation costs associated with excavation, land clearing, and land acquisition, while accounting for the scientific effects of detector tilt, arm length, and arm opening angle. After describing the package's methods, we present results for a national-level cost and positioning analysis that complements a recent national suitability analysis. We also discuss how future improvements to CELS will allow deeper, more local studies as the Cosmic Explorer team narrows its list of potential locations.