p m b a b llltyof e n c o u n te rin gs u c ha g o o ds e e in ge v e n in the

le g e n d In s is ts Ina n y c a s e th a tt h e c o in c id e n c eo f fir s t lig h t a n dth e b irth d a y o f th e fa th e r o f th e a c tiv e o p tic s c o n c e p t,R ay W ils o n , w e re in s tr u m e n ta l fo r th is e a rlys u c c e s s .

q u ire s m o re a tte n tio n th a n c o rre s p o n d s m e re lyt oth eI n c r e a s e in th e n u m b e ro f te le s c o p e so nL a S llla fr o me le v e nt oa

N l T a n d v a rio u s s tra te g ie s fo r im - p ro v e m e n ts . W ith th e s u p p o rt a n d e n - c o u ra g e m e n t

c o n c e rn e d a n d th e W o rk in g G ro u p S c i- e n tific P rio ritie s fo r L a S illa , a c o n c e r te d e ffo rt is n o w b e in g u n d e rta k e n to m o re fu lly e x p lo it th e p o te n tia l o f th eN lT , in th e in te re s t o f its o w n u s e rs a s w e ll a s o f the VLT.

O n c e th is h a s b e e n a c h ie v e d , b e tte r u s e s h o u ld b e m a d e o f th eN l T in p re p a ra - tio n

VLT. This le a d s t o o b je c tiv e s N o s .2a n d 3 , n a m e ly t o

T o a c h ie v e th e la tte r g o a ls w ill n o t b e in e x p e n s iv e . H o w e v e r, a n y m a jo r te e th - in g p r o b le m s o f th e V L T w ill b e in c o m - p a r a b ly m o r e c o s tly . T h eN l T is th e o n ly E S O

s y s te m d o e s n o t o ffe r m u c h o f a n o p tio n fo r g ra d u a l b u t s ig n ific a n t u p g ra d e s . F o r in s ta n c e , o n ly c o m p le te re p la c e m e n t o f th e c o m p u te r h a rd w a re w ill g iv e th e N lT a n e w lo n g -te rm

th e c o n s tra in ts w h ic h d e fin e th e b e g in - n in g o f P h a s eII: M u c h o f th e ju s tific a tio n fo r

s c o p e , th e o rig in a l p la n fo re s a w th a t th e N T T w o u ld o n ly s e e b u ild2 o f th e T C S a fte r

c h e c k e d d u rin g th e E u ro p e a n a s s e m b ly o f th e m e c h a n ic a l s tru c tu re o f u n it te le - s c o p e N o . 1 in M ila n . W ith th e c u rre n t s c h e d u le

in to th e firs t w e e k s o f 1 9 9 6 b u t n o d e la y o f fir s t lig h t, a m o r e c lo s e ly in te r le a v e d te s t p a tte rn w ill h a v e to

m o n th s , th e in s ta lla tio n w ill n o t p e r m it a n y s c ie n tific o b s e rv a tio n s to b e c a rrie d o u t. T h e re a f- te r th e p la n fo re s e e s o b s e rv a tio n s o n ly in s e r v ic e m o d e . T h e r e a s o n is th a t o n ly in th is w a y th e tw o m o s t im p o rta n t a n d a p p a re n tly c o n flic tin g re q u ire m e n ts c a n b e fu lfille d , n a m e ly t o

p o s s ib le m o m e n t a n d t o g iv e th e te c h n i- c a l s ta ff e n o u g h tim e t o fu llyre -c o m m is - s io n

F le x ib le s c h e d u l- in g c a n e n s u re th a t a lw a y s th e te c h n i- c a lly

s c ie n tific a lly m o s t im p o rta n t p ro g ra m m e s a re c a rrie d o u t.

e s s e n tia l c o m p o n e n t. S u b - s ta n tia l te c h n ic a l im p ro v e m e n ts a re n o t fo re s e e n . T h e e m p h a s is w ill ra th e r b e o n ro b u s tn e s s , tra n s p a re n c y , a n d q u a n tita - tiv e

re p a irs s h o u ld tu r n o u t to b e n e c e s s a ry , it w ill in e a c h c a s e b e c o n s id e re d w h e th e r a lo w - e r lo s s o f s c ie n tific o p p o r tu n itie s w o u ld b e

F in a lly , d u r in g P h a s eIll a ls o th e m o d - e l fo r o p e ra tio n o f th e V L T , w h ic h is d u e fo r th e

Phases I andII h a v e b e e n a p p ro v e d , th e ir im p le m e n ta tio n is p r o c e e d in g . T h e d is c u s s io n

a s o f A p ril1 ,1 9 9 4 w ill b e p u t in fu ll c h a rg e o f th eN l 7 . O n L a S illa , th is NTT Team

(P h G ) e n g in e e r a s w e ll a s tw o a s tro n o m e rs (G M [a ls o in c h a rg e o f th e

fa r h a v e o n e s o ftw a re e n g in e e r (A W-s o ft- w a re g ro u p

r e s p o n s ib le fo r re -b u ild in g th e c o n tro l s y s te m ) a n d o n e a s tro n o m e r

b e re -fille d a t th e e n d o f 1 9 9 4 . F u rth e r- m o re , tw o m o re s o ftw a re e n g in e e rs w ill b e re c ru ite d

II b e tra n s fe rre d t o L a S illa to g e th e r w ith o n e c u rre n t

v a to ire d e M a rs e ille in o rd e r to re tu rn to L a S illa fo r o n e y e a r a n d t o w o r k w ith th e N lT Team

b e in g s u ffic ie n t t o fu lly c o v e r a ll n e e d s o f th e N T T . A re a s s u c h a s d e te c to rs , m a in te - n a n c e

w ir in g , m e c h a n ic s , c o m p u te r n e tw o rk in g , e tc ., a re

N l7 T e a m . T h is is in te n d e d b e c a u s e fu ll s e lf- s u ffic ie n c y w o u ld n o t b e a r e a lis tic g o a l if th e c o s ts a re t o b e a ffo rd a b le . T h e re - fo re , th e d a ily o p e ra tio n o f th e N T T w ill c o n tin u e t o re ly s tro n g ly o n th e s u p p o rt b y

G ro u p . O n a ro ta tin g s c h e d u le , a fix e d n u m b e r o f n ig h t a s s is ta n ts

e x p e rtis e in to o n e jo in t c o n c e p t. E s p e - c ia lly a s tro n g e r u n ific a tio n o f E S O -C h ile a n d

c h a ra c te r a ls o fo r th e o p e ra tio n o f th e V LT . T h e a d e q u a c y o f th e p re s e n t s ta f- fin g le v e l w ill b e c a r e fu lly m o n ito r e d a n d , if n e c e s s a ry , fu rth e r a d ju s te d .

A t le a s t d u r in g P h a s e I, t h e o p e r a tio n o f IR S P E C w ill n o t b e d ir e c tly in te g r a te d in to

im p ro v e m e n ts a re re la tiv e ly m in o r w h e re a s th e p ric e to b e p a id fo r a d is c o n tin u ity c o u ld b en o n - n e g lig ib le . T h is a p p r o a c h is , o f c o u r s e , m a d e e a s ie r b y th e p re s e n t la c k o f c o n - c re te p la n s fo r th e

a s d e fa u lt m o d e ; u s e-8 0%o f lig h t fro m g u id e s ta r fo r c o n tin u o u s im a g e a n a ly s is a n d te le - s c o p e

In a d d itio n t o th e L a S illa s ite m o n ito r, u s e s e c o n d g u id e p r o b e in N a s m y th s ta tio n B(E M M I) fo r in d e p e n d e n t im - a g e

m e te o ro lo g ic a l c o n d i- tio n s . T h e o b je c tiv e is t o id e n tify c o n - s te lla tio n s

d e v e l- o p e d fo r th eN I T in o r d e r t o a c tiv e ly m in im iz e d e g r a d a tio n .

of NTT com - p u te r; if u n a v o id a b le d itto fo r o p e ra t- in g s y s te m . T h e p re s e n t w o rk lo a d o f th e

b y m a in te n a n c e s ta ff, a n d a s a s o u rc e o f re c ip e s fo r fu tu re p ro b le m s .

a g a in s t th e s e re fe re n c e d a ta w ill e n a b le e a rly r e c - o g n itio n o f a n o m a lie s a s w e ll a s fa ls e a la rm s .

d e te c to rs . P ro v id e s im - p lifie d p ro c e d u re s fo r c h e c k s a ls o b y V is itin g A s tro n o m e rs .

s e w in g m o d e h a d a ra th e r s u c c e s s fu l s ta rt (B a le s tra e t a l. 1 9 9 3 , B a a d e e t a l. 1 9 9 3 ) a n d h e lp s t o e n s u re th a t th e L a S illa a n d G a r c h in g v ie w o f t h e N T T d o n o t d iffe r t o o w id e ly .

E x te n d s c o p e o f M ID A S D a ta O rg a n - iz e r(P e ro n e t a l. 1 9 9 4 ) to o n -lin e a p - p lic a tio n s

b e tte r s u p p o rt q u a lity a n d h e a lth c o n tr o l o f th e d a ta s e ts a c q u ire d .

c o n tro l s y s - te m ), id e n tify p o s s ib le p ro b le m s a n d d e s ig n s o lu tio n s (fo r in s ta n c e , in th is w a y it w a s p o s s ib le t o tr a c k d o w na p ro b le m

in th e C C D c o n tro l s o ftw a re w h ic h c a u s e d th e d a ta to b e irre c o v - e r a b ly lo s t in a b o u t 1%

o f a ll c a s e s ) . P e rfo rm s e v e ra l fie ld te s ts o f in d iv id u - a l

T o th e a b o v e lis t h a v e t o b e a d d e d t h e ro u tin e s u p p o r t o f V is itin g A s tro n o m e rs a n d

d a rd s is a t a ll a ffo rd a b le , is d u e t o th e m o d u la r, la y e re d d e s ig n o f th e V LT c o n - tro l

im p le m e n tin g th e N T T s p e c ific a p p lic a tio n s o n t o p o f th is lo w e r-le v e l s o ftw a re . T h is w o rk h a s b e e n b ro k e n d o w n in to 1 9 w o rk c o m p o - n e n ts . T h e y c lo s e ly fo llo w th e s c h e d u le a c c o rd in g t o w h ic h th e V L T s o ftw a re is b e in g w ritte n . A t th e

T h e firs t t w o te s ts a re s c h e d u le d fo r M ay 1994 and com prise the VLT Local C o n tro l U n it (L C U ) c o m m o n s o ftw a re in s ta n d -a lo n e m o d e a n d e m b e d d e d in th e V LT C e n tra l C o n tro l S o ftw a re (C C S ), re - s p e c tiv e ly . T h e

c o n c e rn s s e c o n d a ry a n d te rtia ry m irro r o f t h e N T T a n d w ill ta k e p la c e in S e p - te m b e r 1 9 9 4 .

O n e o f th e c e n tra l w o rk c o m p o n e n ts is th e c o n tro l s o ftw a re fo r E M M I. It p la y s a s p e c ia l r o le a ls o in s o fa r a s it h a s b e e n ta k e n o n b y th e s o ftw a re g ro u p o n L a

S illa(G . A n d re o n i a n dR . S c h m u tz e r a re th e m a in r e s p o n s ib le s ) . T h is is a m a jo r c o n tr ib u tio n o f th e L a S illa o b s e rv a to ry in the

d e v e lo p - m e n t. A lth o u g h th e s u p p o rt o f th e la tte r c a n n o t a t th is

le a s t a s im p o rta n t a p p e a rs th e re s u ltin g p o te n tia l o f d ir e c t d ig ita l s ig n a l p r o c e s s - in g w h ic h w ill, fo r in s ta n c e b y a u to m a tic d e te c tio n

lo o p p rio r t o th e c o m in g in to o p e ra tio n o f th e V L T .

F o r s e le c te d o b s e rv in g m o d e s , fo r in - s ta n c e im a g in g th ro u g h fre q u e n tly u s e d s ta n d a rd filte rs a n d g ris m s p e c tro s c o p y , a n a tte m p t w ill b e m a d e t o m a in ta in a n o n - lin e

re d u c - tio n p ro c e d u re s , th is w ill p e rm it th e o b - s e rv e r a q u a n tita tiv e o n -lin e q u a lity c o n - tro l. A lth o u g h p u b lic a tio n q u a lity m a y in m a n y c a s e s n o t b e a r e a lis tic g o a l, q u ic k a n d o b je c tiv e q u a lity c o n tr o l is o f c o u r s e o f c e n tra l im p o rta n c e in th e c a s e o f s e r- v ic e o b s e rv in g .

th e o re tic a l s u p p o rtin g a rg u m e n ts a re , w ith o u t p rio r p ra c tic a l te s ts

m e a n in g fu l fe e d b a c k a b o u t it, it is e s s e n tia l th a t th e h a rd w a re b e c h a n g e d a s little a s p o s s ib le . F o r a w h ile th is m a y a ls o m e a n th e e x c lu s io n o f