Project Office Update

October 2011

The Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) convened a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project August 29 through September 2, 2011 in Tucson, Arizona. The review, the most significant the project has undergone so far, was in response to submission of the LSST Construction Proposal to the NSF. Although the PDR focused on project management and the project’s NSF-funded design work, the 12-member panel spent nearly five days reviewing every aspect of the project in great detail, including both the privately funded work on the major optics and the design of the camera, which is funded separately by the Department of Energy (DOE).

The scientific case for LSST was not the focus of the review; that was taken as a given because the project had already received the number one endorsement for a new ground-based facility from the Decadal Survey. However, reference was made throughout the PDR to the tremendous community support of the project through the science collaborations, as well as all the exciting scientific opportunities described in the Science Book.

A short plenary session was followed by a total of 12 extensive breakout sessions led by senior project managers, covering the telescope & site, camera, data management, education and public outreach, project management, systems engineering and simulations, and operations and commissioning. The team was well prepared, due in large part to a Board of Directors’ non-advocate review held a few weeks earlier to assess readiness for PDR.

The PDR panel concluded that the LSST project met the requirements for PDR. In particular, the Panel reported that it was “very impressed by the strength of the project team” and that “the design is well advanced and the Panel had no design related issues.” The Panel also found that the project is using appropriate management techniques and that the schedule, budget, and contingencies are reasonable.

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