The M2 secondary mirror of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scheduled to be commissioned on-sky in 2024, will be the first active secondary mirror of 3.5m diameter in operation. Its substantial dimensions and advanced functionalities place it in league with the secondary mirrors of the upcoming 30m class telescopes. Characterizing its performance serves as a critical step towards comprehending and controlling the optics of the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). This study focuses on testing and validating the M2 cell in the Observatory’s integration hall and at the Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA). We also report on the integration steps of the M2 cell onto the TMA itself, including installing the light baffle. During the testing campaign, the M2 cell is equipped with an aluminum mirror surrogate for safety reasons regarding the glass mirror. To ensure integrity when the thin glass mirror (10cm) is installed onto the telescope, the M2 support system must be actively controlled during any M2 cell movement. This prompted the development of a dedicated control system to enable closed loop mode for transporting the M2 cell with the glass mirror from the integration hall to the telescope. The tests in the integration hall were conducted with the M2 cell mounted on a rotating cart, allowing different orientations with respect to gravity as it will experience on the telescope. Upon reaching the telescope, static and dynamic tests are conducted at progressively higher telescope performance, increasing slewing speed, acceleration, and jerk. A significant novelty introduced by Rubin to astronomical instrumentation is the Verification & Validation architecture as part of the model-based Systems Engineering approach where requirements, test procedures and executions are merged into an interlaced and dynamic flow. This report presents the experimental results from the distinct test campaigns covering a wide range of M2 cell functionalities. These include characterization of actuator behavior in terms of maximum stroke and force limits, evaluation of closed-loop (active) and open-loop (passive) support system operation for the M2, system settling time and Force Balance response to different slewing speeds of the telescope.
KEYWORDS: Observatories, System integration, Imaging systems, Data processing, Data acquisition, Control systems, Cameras, Telescopes, Image processing, Software development
The Rubin Observatory has entered its latter stages of the construction effort with system integration, test and commissioning. All system elements are coming together including components of the telescope, the science camera and software systems for control and data processing. In this paper we report on the progress, status, plans and schedule for integrating the system elements into a fully functional observatory to carry out the 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a joint NSF and DOE construction project with facilities distributed across multiple sites. These sites include the Summit Facility on Cerro Pachón, Chile; the Base Facility in La Serena, Chile; the Project and Operations Center in Tucson, AZ; the Camera integration and testing laboratories at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, CA; and the data support center based at the National Center for SuperComputing Applications at Urbana-Champaign, IL. The Rubin Observatory construction Project has entered its system integration and testing phase where major subsystem components are coming together and being tested and verified at a system level for the first time. The system integration phase of the Project requires a closely coordinated and organized plan to merge, manage, and be able to adapt the complex set of subsystems and activities across the entire observatory as real effects are discovered. In this paper we present our strategy to successfully complete integration, test and commissioning of the systems making up the Rubin Observatory. We include discussion on (i) our strategy for integration activities and the verification of requirements (ii) a brief summary of construction status at the time of this paper, (iii) early integration activities that are used to mitigate risks including the use of the Rubin Observatory's commissioning camera (ComCam), planning for the integration, testing and verification of the primary science instrument - LSSTCam, and lastly, (v) Science Verification through short concentrated survey-like campaigns. Throughout this paper we identify where key performance metrics are addressed that directly impact the Rubin Observatory's 10{year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) science capabilities - e.g. image quality, telescope dynamics, alert latency, etc...
The Data Management (DM) subsystem of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is responsible for creating the software, services, and systems that will be used to produce science ready data products. The software, currently under development, is heterogeneous, comprising both C++ and Python components, and is designed to facilitate both the processing of the observatory images and to enable value-added contributions from the broader scientific community. Verification and validation of these software products, services, and systems is an essential yet time-consuming task. In this paper, we present the tooling and procedures developed to ensure a systematic approach to the production of documentation for verification and validation. By adopting a systematic approach, we guarantee full traceability to system requirements, integration with the project’s Systems Engineering model, and substantially reduce the time required for the whole process.
KEYWORDS: Systems modeling, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, Data modeling, Systems engineering, Integrated modeling, Model-based design, Safety, Telescopes
This paper describes the evolution of the processes, methodologies and tools developed and utilized on the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project that provide a complete end-to-end environment for verification planning, execution, and reporting. LSST utilizes No Magic’s MagicDraw Cameo Systems Modeler tool as the core tool for systems modeling, a Jira-based test case/test procedure/test plan tool called Test Management for Jira for verification execution, and Intercax’s Syndeia tool for bi-directional synchronization of data between Cameo Systems Modeler and Jira. Several additional supporting tools and services are also described to round out a complete solution. The paper describes the project’s needs, overall software platform architecture, and customizations developed to provide the end to- end solution.
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