Telescope Manufacturers Explain Pandemic-Related Delays & Shortages

The telescope industry is experiencing some unique supply and demand challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and we wanted to shed some light on them for you.

Supply – As COVID-19 was raging overseas, specifically in Asia, factories were shut down for at least a month, starting in February. The ramifications of this shut down are still being felt today as the factories haven’t been able to get ahead of demand.

Demand – Simply put, the demand for telescopes and telescope related items has never been greater than it is today. In our 20 years of doing this, we have never seen anything like it. Interestingly, this scenario isn’t exclusive to the telescope industry, it spans across the majority of outdoor and backyard product categories as well!

Astronomy equipment manufacturers around the world are feverishly building products as quickly as they can, but they depend on those who supply the glass, metal and parts to build those telescopes. If even one supplier runs out of, let's say, metal gears, the whole process grinds to a halt. On the other end of the equation is shipping. Many manufacturers are in China or other countries an ocean away, and finished products are transported by ship. Once they arrive in port they need to be inspected before a truck can pick them up and deliver the finished goods to our warehouse. The pandemic has disrupted every aspect of the supply chain worldwide, and the continued increase in demand only adds to the delay.

We thought it might help to hear from a few of our largest telescope manufacturers on this subject, and so we asked them to give us a quick explanation regarding the industry wide delays and shortages. While we are listing only three statements, please know that everyone involved in this industry would say the same thing!

Meade Instruments

“Due to an unprecedented high demand for telescopes, we are currently experiencing unexpected delays. Simply put, the unexpected high demand has completely caught our planned manufacturing and associated vendors off guard. Goods and inventories that were planned for later in the season has been consumed much earlier than expected. This has resulted in extended delays in delivering products this fall. We at Meade are doing everything possible to adjust to the increased demands. Thank you for your understanding.”

L. Wege
Meade Instruments

Celestron

"As more and more people are spending time at home and exploring the night sky we are experiencing a substantial increase in demand for our products. Additionally, the global shut down earlier this year affected our overseas suppliers and slowed the production of our products. These two factors combined have resulted in lengthy wait times for our products. Our team is working hard to resolve supply chain delays and make our products available as quickly as possible. COVID 19 has impacted many facets of our organization and we know many customers are waiting patiently for our products. We thank you for your continued patience as we work to get products into the hands of our dealers as quickly and safely as we can."

J. Mulek
Celestron

Explore Scientific

"In 2020, the entire worldwide telescope industry, including manufacturers and retailers, have seen an unexpected and unprecedented demand for products due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the media attention for Comet NEOWISE, causing some products to temporarily run out of stock. Precision telescopes and accessories do take many months to fabricate before being ready for distribution, and Explore Scientific and our factories are working multiple shifts to meet demand. While we do still have inventory of some models of telescopes and eyepieces, some high-demand products will be out of stock for some months to come. Asking precisely "when" a handmade precision telescope will be finished, is similar to asking a fine artist when their painting will be done. Be assured that we are in regular communication with all of our authorized dealers to keep them informed as we learn of our factory's progress, and as soon as we see our products loaded on containers and shipped, we can give with certainty the arrival time to our warehouse. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you if you are waiting for an Explore Scientific product that you may have on order. "

S. Roberts
Explore Scientific

Thank you for taking the time to read this. We appreciate your patience during this time and we truly hope that once you do receive your telescope and telescope related gear that you will be blown away by the riches of the universe!