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Astronomy Operations

Astronomy Operations. Now 3 SOs: Fred, Sandisa, Lucian (Francois resigned), with Charl (Tracker Mech. Tech.) as a backup (e.g. for illness, leave, etc). Additional responsibilities to include ELS reporting, environmental trending & reporting (nightly summaries), calibrations

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Astronomy Operations

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  1. Astronomy Operations • Now 3 SOs: Fred, Sandisa, Lucian (Francois resigned), with Charl (Tracker Mech. Tech.) as a backup (e.g. for illness, leave, etc). • Additional responsibilities to include ELS reporting, environmental trending & reporting (nightly summaries), calibrations • 2 weeks on 1 week off routine (8 h nights; two shifts) • All 6 SAs (Encarni, Petri, Martin, Nicola, Alexei & Yas) are now in place and fully trained • Various responsibilities assigned • Regular observing (1 week in 6) scheduled and Cape Town backup • Webpage developments • Beginning data analysis and evaluation • PI tools continuing to be developed • Additional assistance from Res. Fellows/Post Docs • Ramotholo Sefako (past UW postdoc; SA in training) • Lisa Crause (PAC’s postdoc) • Hannah Worters (UCLAN postgraduate student) • Arfon Smith (U. Nottingham postgraduate student) • Christian Hettlage (Postdoc Java developer on-loan from Göttingen) • Some giving general assistance to SAs at telescope

  2. Astronomy Operations • Night-time activities • IQ tests top priority • Many other engineering support priorities (e.g. Cal. Sys., guidance characterization) • Instrument support for RSS (e.g. obtaining throughput data) • The many problems still with reliability and efficiency will hopefully benefit from S/W fix weeks • Liaison with PIs • Status report on SALT & Instruments • Webpage access to relevant SA Intranet pages • Data Quality webpages • Sample data for potential PIs/SSWG/Board to scrutinize & offer opinions • Resurrecting SALTeNEWS • Data reductions • Meetings held with interested parties (SAs, SAAO astronomers & postdocs, IT division) • QUACK (LAB) installed and being used for on-line reductions • Development of other S/W (e.g. continuing development of SALT IRAF package) • S/W management and planning processes (version control, S/W repositories)

  3. Astronomy Operations • Final Remarks SALT and instruments still not commissioned • Premature for full P-V phase Telescope & control efficiency issues • Reliability (esp. TCS, Tracker) Some discernable improvements with advent of dedicated S/W & Eng. weeks • Commissioning observations only really beginning P-V at lower priority behind IQ work, subsystem comm. & RSS commissioning. Lots of Payload issues still to resolve Instrument characterization being done Expect progress on many aspects over next 3-4 months, but realistically won’t be into full P-V work until latter part of year. Will depend on how long IQ and other issues will take to fix. SALT Ops Staff (Eng. & Ast.) & many SAAO staff have thrown themselves fully into addressing many outstanding issues. Assistance has been forthcoming from some partners (e.g. UKSC & Göttingen), in line with the expectations of partners to contribute to commissioning as per the Shareholders Agreement. • We would welcome similar assistance from suitably skilled students/postdocs, etc.

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