Estimating the Cost of Extremely Large Telescopes - GSMT Program
Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF
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Transcript of Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF
Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF
Stephen E. Strom
04 June, 2004Tucson, AZ
National Optical Astronomy ObservatoryTucson
Frontier Science Enabled by GSMT
Galaxy Birth:The Archaeological Record
The physics of young Jupiter's
Characterize Exo-Planets
The Birth of Planetary Systems
Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly
The Birth of Large
Scale Structure
Frontier Science Enabled by GSMT
Galaxy Birth:The Archaeological Record
The physics of young Jupiter's
Characterize Exo-Planets
The Birth of Planetary Systems
Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly
The Birth of Large
Scale StructureExploits 10x gain in sensitivity
at optical wavelengths
Exploits enhanced sensitivityand angular resolution
Exploits enhanced sensitivityand angular resolution
Exploits 100x gain in sensitivityor unresolved point sources
Exploits enhanced angular resolution and diffraction-limited performance
AASC Vision for GSMT
“The Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT), the committee’s top ground-based recommendation….is a 30-m-class ground-based telescope that will be a powerful complement to NGST [and ALMA] in tracing the evolution of galaxies and the formation of stars and planets.”
AASC:Implementing A New Paradigm
“GSMT requires a large investment of resources and offers an opportunity for partnership between national and university/independent observatories in producing and operating a world-class facility within the coordinated system of these two essential components of US ground-based astronomy.”
“Half the total cost should come from private and/or international partners.”
GSMT SWG Recommendations
“In order to reap the enormous potential synergy between the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and a 20-m to 30-m telescope, it is essential to initiate major design and technology development efforts now to ensure that facility operations coincide with the early JWST era.”
“Federal investment now in a major technology development program targeted at key areas can advance multiple design programs, and will ensure a strong public voice at all stages in the development of next-generation telescopes.”
AURA’s Proposal to the NSF
Goal: Advance the design of TMT and at least one other US ELT program
so that performance, cost, schedule and risk of differing approaches
can be assessed prior to any commitment to construction
Provide $17.5M for TMT partnership effort Matches the partner shares from ACURA, Caltech and UC
Provide comparable funds for non-TMT investment, including: Startup funds for another ELT design & development effort (~$14M)
Funding for joint, common technology development (~$2M)
Funding for two instrument conceptual design studies (~1.5M)
Proposed NSF Investment in TMT
TMT responds directly to AASC recommendations Builds on CELT, GSMT & VLOT design studies for a segmented 30m
Community receives observing time proportional to public investment NSF funds ($17.5M) will leverage $52.5M (Moore; ACURA) Technology developments will be transparent
Reported to other groups & published openly
Effort will be made to compete technology developments openly so as to engage the broader community
AURA participation will ensure that NSF and community will be represented at all levels in the project
GSMT SWG will be the locus for community input
Proposed NSF Investment in a Complementary ELT Program
Responds to SWG by supporting technology development and design efforts needed to advance another major ELT concept.
AURA will request letters of intent outlining a coherent plan for advancing an ELT concept
Letters would need to outline Current and future private/state matching funds Total cost of the proposed Design and Development effort Mechanisms for making technology developments transparent Mechanisms for incorporating community input into decision making Mechanisms for engaging the broader community in technology developments
Total funding available for Design and Development effort: $14M
Other Elements of theAURA NSF Proposal
Instrument concept studies ($1.5 M) Engage the broader community in developing instrument design
concepts for TMT + other ELT
Joint technology development programs ($2M) Detectors; gratings; coatings…. Areas agreed to by TMT and other ELT program Encourages cooperation and transparency
Theory Challenge program Engage theorists early in ELT design phases Provide theory input to ELT capabilities via the GSMT SWG
Education and Public Outreach programs
Advantages of AURA’s Approach
Provides the resources to advance 2 ELT concepts to a Preliminary Design by Q4 2007
Ensures the success of at least one effort Enables community input via the GSMT SWG
Ensures resulting designs meet community aspirations Encourages transparency between the projects
Provides the basis for an eventual convergence path Engages the talents of the broader community via
Instrument design efforts Technology development efforts
Encourages ‘aligned’ investments with ESO where practical
Status of the TMT Design and Development Phase
Partnership formed among CELT, ACURA and AURA $44M/$70M DDP funds identified Key personnel appointed
Project Manager Gary Sanders Project Scientist Jerry Nelson
Central design office established in Pasadena Initial TMT WBS and schedule completed Key design trades identified and initiated Site evaluation (part of general GSMT effort) well advanced
Atacama, Las Campanas, Mauna Kea, San Pedro Martir Science Requirements Document under change control by Q3 2004 D & D Phase will be completed by Q4 2007
Engaging with ESO
AURA signs MOU with ESO to establish working groups Segment fabrication
prototype figured segments Adaptive Optics Detectors and Instrument Components Site testing
ensure a consistent calibration Working groups are establishing areas for ‘aligned investment’
Develop alternate technical approaches and multiple vendors ESO and GSMT SWGs agree to meet
First meeting held in Berlin Collaborative efforts are aimed at keeping communication lines and
partnership possibilities open
Requested NOAO-OC Actions
Authorize submitting the proposal to NSF
Support the proposal enthusiastically and proactively Letter to NSF-AST and NSF-MPS
Face-to-face meeting in DC to show strong support