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August

LSST2015 Group Photo Video

More than 220 project team members and scientists attended the LSST2015 Workshop in Bremerton, WA. This video was shot from a drone while attendees took a group photo. more
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Monday, August 10, 2015

The LSST achieved a significant milestone August 4-6, 2015, with the Camera passing a critical independent review that evaluated the project's readiness for seeking approval of Critical Decision (CD)-3, Approve Start of Construction. The review committee found the LSST Camera to meet all requirements and recommended immediate CD-3 approval. Specifically the committee found the project team to be "expert and very capable. The team is well managed and can effectively deliver on the construction phase tasks, manage the procurements, interfaces, and risks. The management structure and resources are in place to successfully deliver the project within the cost and schedule." The LSST camera final design (including all interfaces) was found to be capable of achieving the previously approved science objectives and sufficient to begin construction. Led by Camera Project Manager Nadine Kurita at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Camera Deputy Project Manager Vincent Riot at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the entire Camera team and LSST Project should be congratulated for this outstanding effort and outcome!

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LSST Monthly Progress Updates

Executive summaries of the LSST Monthly Technical Progress Reports are posted here.

Excavation Activities

Excavation activities on site are nearing completion, but during excavation, substantial amounts of fractured rock and clay materials were discovered in the area where the support building facilities will be constructed. Removing the surface rock on the slope off the main peak revealed clay deposits that were not identified during the geotechnical surveys completed prior to construction. The general contractor, Besalco, has completed the removal of the fractured rock and clay, and following a detailed inspection by architectural and engineering firm Arcadis, a remedy of concrete fill has been identified and initiated to build up the necessary foundation.

Summer Interns

David Enciso, a senior in aerospace engineering at Iowa State University, began an IINSPIRE internship with LSST in late May. Rose Gibson, a junior studying astrophysics at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, is working over the summer as an REU intern with System Scientist Chuck Claver.

Education Summit

LSST Manager for EPO Suzanne Jacoby participated in the first Chile-U.S. Astronomy Education Summit the week of March 21, 2015. Organized by Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Carnegie Institution for Science, the United States Embassy in Chile, and CONICYT, the summit took place at various locations throughout Chile.

M1M3 Moved

Before dawn on May 19, the completed LSST primary/tertiary mirror (M1M3) was safely moved from the UA’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab (formerly Steward Observatory Mirror Lab) to long-term secure storage at Tucson International Airport. Contractor Precision Heavy Haul executed the eight-mile, three-hour move under the supervision of LSST technical and safety personnel. The mirror move is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from the LSST technical team, the mirror lab, and generous support from the LSST Corporation and private donors. Local coverage of the event in the Tucson newspaper includes images and a short video.

Welcome Pat Osmer

After a long and distinguished career at The Ohio State University, first as Chair of the Department of Astronomy and then since 2006 as Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School, Patrick Osmer is stepping down from university administration effective August 31 to return to his roots in the astronomy research community. We are very fortunate that Pat has agreed to join the LSST team as a senior advisor to the Corporation.

SLAC Clean Room

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory celebrated completion of the LSST camera assembly clean room on May 8. The clean room is necessary for assembly of the LSST camera because any dust settling on the image sensors would degrade the quality of the precision device. The air inside the new facility is about 1,000 times “cleaner” than ordinary air.

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Financial support for Rubin Observatory comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Agreement No. 1258333, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded Rubin Observatory Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).  The DOE-funded effort to build the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera (LSSTCam) is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC).
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
NSF and DOE will continue to support Rubin Observatory in its Operations phase. They will also provide support for scientific research with LSST data.   




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