KEYWORDS: Observatories, Telescopes, Thirty Meter Telescope, Astronomy, Large telescopes, Equipment, Data archive systems, Observational astronomy, Imaging spectroscopy, Data processing
The US Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) is a joint initiative of the organizations building the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), and the NSF National Optical- Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab). The US-ELTP will enable all U.S. astronomers to carry out transformational research that fully leverages the diverse capabilities of both the GMT and TMT, as well as the two-hemisphere system. In this paper, we present an overview of the program’s scientific goals, the high-level roles and responsibilities of the US-ELTP partners, and the operating modalities of the joint program, including science and engineering operations for science investigators and archival research support.
The United States Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) is a joint initiative of the organizations building the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the NSF National Optical and Infrared Astronomy Lab, NOIRLab. The US-ELTP will provide the US astronomical community with open access to observing and archival science with the GMT and TMT via a user services platform supporting the entire lifecycle of scientific inquiry. In this contribution, we summarize the status of the development and design of the program’s components, highlighting key advances and remaining technical challenges, and describing the next steps in bringing this initiative to fruition.
KEYWORDS: Data archive systems, Astronomical software, Web services, Telescopes, Observatories, Large telescopes, Astronomy, Analytical research, Data analysis, Interfaces
The United States Extremely Large Telescope Program (US-ELTP) is a joint effort of three organizations: the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) International Observatory (TIO), the Giant Magellan Telescope Corporation (GMTO), and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NSF NOIRLab). The US-ELTP will provide US astronomers with access to observing and archival science with the GMT and TMT. A user services suite and integrated data management and science platform, the US-ELT NOIRLab Program Platform (NPP), is being developed by NOIRLab; its scope, conceptual architecture, and development progress are described here. The NPP leverages community best practices and lessons from existing and upcoming facilities such as the International Gemini Observatory, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) and is guided by inclusive and collaborative design principles to broaden access to GMT and TMT. The NPP will support the creation of proposal and observing programs, scheduling and execution of observations, data archival and automated data reduction, and exploratory data analysis. The system, its support, extensive documentation, and ample training will be guided by regular community surveys and interviews with a diverse range of community members, and, eventually, through usability testing based on prototypes and mockups.
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