HONOLULU—The project director of a new solar telescope in Hawaii that will be the most powerful of its kind hopes scientists will be able to start observations at the facility in three months. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, at the summit of Haleakalā volcano on Maui, was supposed to open last fall. But Thomas Rimmele told Hawaii Public Radio on Wednesday that COVID-19 travel restrictions set back construction on its critical systems. He hopes the current schedule won’t be affected by newly surging coronavirus cases and any additional restrictions. Rimmele was expecting to return to Maui as early as this week. “November 15 is what we’re shooting for. We just had a big review, the final construction review that was conducted by the National Science Foundation,” Rimmele said. ”(The scientists) are getting really anxious to get their observations and data done.” The telescope has received about 100 proposals from …