GeminiFocus 2013 Year in Review | Page 53

sky use of the GeMS laser. The October and December runs culminated in the return of GeMS to queue readiness, including the first Classical time observations made with GeMS in late December. The GeMS team also completed the instrument’s first operational Acceptance Review (AR) in November, with the final review scheduled for January 2014. The AR clearly defined the extra support personnel and tasks needed prior to each GeMS run to ensure that the instrument is ready for science. This effort includes members of many groups across Gemini — Science Operations, Optical Systems, Electronics and Instrumentation, Systems Engineering, Software, Information Systems, and, of course, the Adaptive Optics group — and demands that they work together in a coordinated manner. In addition, the AR stressed that every successful night of GeMS operation requires careful communication between the telescope operator, observer, laser technician, adaptive optics group support, and laser spotters. The key to a successful transition to routine queue operations of GeMS is communication between all of these highly technical and savvy individuals. Finally, the GeMS AR