Constructing Telescopes in Antarctica

1. Constructing Telescopes in Antarctica John W.V. Storey Image: Tony Travouillon

2. Getting the components there, building the telescope, and operating it. Image: John Storey

3. Dome C is a French/Italian station that will be open year-round from 2005 Dome C • Mawson • Casey • Davis • Hobart Image: Australian Antarctic Division

4. Logistic support of Dome C is via Hobart. Image: John Storey

5. L’Astrolabe brings heavy items from Hobart to Dumont d’Urville in 6 days... Image: John Storey

6. ...thence by tractor-traverse to Dome C. Image: Patrik Kaufmann

7. The tractor-traverse takes 11 days to get from the coast to Dome C. • Three traverses/year (currently) • Each traverse delivers ~150 tonnes • Fuel consumption 600 litres/tonne • Twelve-metre sleds – essentially no size or weight restrictions

8. From 2005, the Australian Antarctic Division air-link will be in place. 3.9 hrs Dome C Image: Australian Antarctic Division

9. The AASTINO was assembled by 3 people in 10 hours, at -30C.

10. Let’s assume that things take twice at long at Dome C... Image: Patrik Kaufmann

11. ...because some people just can’t resist goofing off. Image: Geanpiero Venturi

12. Image: Karim Agabi

13. Image: Patrik Kaufmann

14. Image: John Storey

15. EOST estimate for construction times (temperate site) for 2-metre telescope. • Mech Eng 3 – 4 weeks • Mech Tech 2 – 3 weeks • Elec Eng 2 weeks • Optical Eng 1 week • SW Eng 2 week • Total (worst case): • 14 person-weeks • 6 weeks elapsed time • 5 personnel Image: EOST

16. Let’s double these times (to account for the goofing off). • Total (worst case): • 28 person-weeks • 12 weeks elapsed time • 5 personnel This represents less than the combined UNSW and University of Nice deployment at Dome C for a single summer. Image: EOST

17. Construction costs Image: John Storey

18. What did it cost us to build the AASTINO at Dome C, and what would it have cost if we’d done it at Siding Spring? Image: John Storey

19. Dome C (actual costs) $ Road transport, Sydney – Hobart, 4 tonnes (includes separate “dangerous goods” shipping) 5185 Return airfare Sydney – Hobart, three people @ $500 1,860 Accommodation in Hobart, 2 nights x 3 people 720 Hire of bulldozer, 8 hrs 0 Hire of crane, 2 x 1/2 day 0 Connection to power grid 0 Hire of three 2-way radios, 4 weeks 0 Hire of container during construction 0 Jet A1 fuel; 2,300 litres 0 ------ Total Dome C $7,765 Siding Spring (estimated costs based on quotes) $ Road transport, Sydney – SSO, 4 tonnes 2,000 Hire of car, 4 weeks @ $300/week 1,200 Accommodation at Lodge, 28 nights x 3 people @ $102.30 8,593 Hire of bulldozer, 8 hrs @ $150/hr 1,200 Hire of crane, 2 x 1/2 day @ $900 per 1/2 day 1,800 Connection to power grid (including pole) 950 Hire of three 2-way radios, 4 weeks 300 Hire of container during construction 2,500 Jet A1 fuel; 2,300 litres 2,300 ------- Total Siding Spring $20,843

20. PILOT: Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope

21. For PILOT (15 tonnes gross weight), let’s ignorethe possible savings, take the worst case and double it, and assume we have to pay for all the transport... Image: Patrik Kaufmann

22. We’ll pay for our share of the icebreaker charter, and our share of its operating costs... Image: John Storey

23. ...we’ll pay for our share of the tractor-traverse to Dome C. Image: Patrik Kaufmann

24. Then that all comes to... ...5% of an Astrolabe voyage, plus 10% of a traverse... = A$54k. ...plus GST Image: Patrik Kaufmann

25. Of course, there are also the violent storms that dump metres of snow in just a few hours... ...but fortunately they only occur on Mauna Kea. (Image courtesy Keck Observatory)