Among the first exciting activities in 2019
is a Communications Summit in Multi-Mes-
senger and Time-Domain Astronomy (MMA/
TDA). Planning is now underway to identify
and invite science communication special-
ists and scientists working in MMA/TDA to
the summit which will focus on the unique
challenges and opportunities in sharing the
complexities and new scientific horizons
presented by MMA/TDA.
Figure 2.
SCORPIO team member
Amanda Bayless with an
engineering grade E2V
device in the clean room.
Credit: Stephen Goodsell
In January 2019 the GEMMA Program Execu-
tion Plan (PEP) is slated for submission to
the NSF and work will ramp up significantly
following its approval. In the meantime the
Gemini user community is encouraged to
provide input into the GEMMA program. The
Time Domain Astronomy Working Group is
being formed in order to advise the Obser-
vatory on the development of the time-do-
main network which will facilitate the execu-
tion of time-domain observations. Secondly,
Gemini is re-establishing an Adaptive Optics
Working Group (AOWG) made up of staff
and engaged members of the Gemini user
community. For more details on getting in-
volved in GEMMA please go to this link.
The GEMMA logo (Figure 1; previous page)
is taken from Gemma’s rings, an early astro-
nomical instrument consisting of three rings
representing the celestial equator, declina-
tion, and the meridian. The rings were creat-
ed by Gemma Frisius, a 16th century Dutch
physician, mathematician, cartographer,
philosopher, and instrument maker.
SCORPIO Completes Two Key
Reviews
The Spectrograph and Camera for Observa-
tions of Rapid Phenomena in the Infrared
and Optical (SCORPIO) completed two key
reviews in November 2018. We held an Op-
tical Design Review from November 14-15
at the University of Madrid, Spain, to assess
the design readiness of the instrument’s six
Collimator Units and eight Camera Units. An
assessment panel consisting of external ex-
perts reviewed whether the long-lead opti-
cal components were ready for acquisition;
after the two day detailed review, they con-
cluded the team provided sufficient analysis
to justify the early purchase of the long-lead
opto-mechanical units, believing the risk of
proceeding was small. We expect the SCOR-
PIO team to place contracts for all of these
items in Q1-2019.
We also held a project quarterly progress
review at the Southwest Research Institute
(SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, from November
26-28. The team presented a large amount
of new work and demonstrated solid prog-
ress made since the last project review in
August. The schedule to a Q1-2019 Critical
Design Review (CDR) remains tight as there
are a number of key analyses on the final de-
sign that only occur late in the schedule; the
team plans to move these items earlier so we
can proceed on schedule. We will re-assess
readiness for the planned March 2019 CDR
in January.
14
GeminiFocus
January 2019