on Gemini’s next new instrument (called
Gen4#3 for the third, 4th-generation instrument) is advancing.
The plan is to approach this new instrument
as two distinctly different projects. First, we
will solicit an open call for feasibility studies, which we expect to launch early in the
fourth quarter of 2014. The goal of these
funded, science-driven studies is to provide
feasible concepts for an instrument consistent with the guidelines set by our Science
and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC).
Once we have reviewed these studies with
our community, the creation of two or more
sets of specific instrument requirements will
commence, allowing us to pursue the second project. Subsequently, we will issue a
request for proposals for teams to bid and
agree to contracts for the remainder of the
work. We expect to then choose two teams,
one for each instrument concept, with
whom we will negotiate a contract for the
remainder of the work.
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GeminiFocus
We intend for this contract to include both
the remaining design stages as well as the
full construction, delivery, and commissioning stages. In this way, we avoid having to issue one contract for the Conceptual Design
Stage and another for the remainder of the
work as we have traditionally done. Depending on available funding and the success of
each team review, we intend to allow one or
both teams to continue to design, build, and
deliver their instrument(s).
Aside from the new contracting approach, we
can now work with instrument teams in additional ways by providing telescope time as
partial compensation for work performed and
accepting and partnering in possible in-kind
contributions from our teams. By working together, we envision a continuation of necessary updates and improvements to Gemini’s
instrument suite using a variety of tools and
contributions from the global Gemini community. Full details will be forthcoming and
included in the Call for Proposals.
July 2014