ALMA and Sub-millimeter-wave Astronomy

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will be the premier millimeter and submillimeter telescope in the world when completed in 2012. ALMA will be a transformational telescope that allows astronomers to image and study at unprecedented detail the origin of stars and planets, galaxies and biologically relevant chemistry, fundamental issues in our attempt to understand how the Universe developed. ALMA represents a qualitative step forward - it will be 10-100 times more sensitive and have 10-100 times better angular resolution than any current telescope working at these wavelengths. The combination of unprecedented sensitivity and excellent resolution of ALMA will transform the astrophysics of the birth of planets, stars and galaxies from the realm of largely theoretical modeling to the realm of directly viewing nature at work. The current status of ALMA will be described. Other submillimeter astronomical projects currently under construction or consideration will also be described.