Next-Generation Telescopes and Control Systems
O3.1 Conceptual Design for the Square-Kilometer Array (Invited)
- R. Ekers (CSIRO/ATNF)
No abstract provided.
O3.2 James Webb Space Telescope Science and Operations Center (Invited)
- Joe Pollizzi (STScI)
The newly named James Webb Space Telescope is more than just a replacement telescope for the current Hubble Space Telescope. The JWST is the successor mission to that of Hubble---which means its goals are to be as successful in advancing our understanding of the universe, but in ways that are beyond Hubble's capabilities. Plus it is to build on Hubble's legacy of success at only a fraction of its cost. These are indeed tall goals. Certainly advances in technology will buy some of that capability, as will the L2 orbit of JWST, which will remove it from many of the visibility and other environmental constraints that Hubble experiences. But, we believe the proper application of the lessons we have learned in operating the Hubble will be as significant to JWST's success as are these more evident changes. Foremost among these lessons is in taking only the best of Hubble's ground systems and building upon them. This talk presents some of our thinking in how we'll use Hubble's systems and the kinds of changes we are planning in preparing the Science and Operations Center for the JWST.
This talk will first present an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope and highlight some of its features and differences from HST. It will then discuss how we intend to take advantage of these changes in simplifying the ground systems. Next we present our plans for where we will use existing systems and where we will acquire or build new components. The talk will conclude with a general overview of the planned S&OC system and our concepts of how it will support the JWST.
O3.3 Adaptive Optics at the VLT: NAOS-CONICA (Invited)
- Chris Lidman, Wolfgang Brandner (ESO)
NAOS-CONICA is the first adaptive optics instrument to be offered to the community at the ESO VLT. This instrument is capable of diffraction limited imaging, spectroscopy, polarimetry and coronography in the 1 to 5 micron wavelength region. In this talk I will provide a description of the instrument and summarize NAOS-CONICA "end-to-end" operations.
