Subject: Engineering pre-emption for NIC-FPS tests

From: Bruce Gillespie

Submitted: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 16:11:27 -0600

Message number: 839 (previous: 838, next: 840 up: Index)

All:

The first two half-nights of initial engineering tests of NIC-FPS on 
the telescope have been completely washed out by unusually wet weather 
at APO.  The prospects for the last scheduled half-night (tonight) are 
not promising.  These tests are crucial for the final integration of 
the instrument, and if they are not accomplished this week the cost and 
schedule of the instrument commissioning will be seriously impacted.

Due to the importance of NIC-FPS to the observatory's future, I am 
invoking an "engineering pre-emption" option against all scheduled 
3.5-m science programs between Wednesday night, 29 September, and 
Sunday night, October 3, inclusive.  The PIs and principal contacts of 
affected programs are being notified separately.  The NIC-FPS team will 
have the right of first refusal for using the telescope during this 
period, depending on weather.  It is anticipated that the team will 
require between a half-night and a full night to accomplish their 
goals.  Once the measurements are completed, the schedule will revert 
to the baseline, but in any case not later than Monday night, 4 
October.

Ed Turner, 3.5-m Director
(via Bruce Gillespie)


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