is moving back to Lowell Observatory, but
we hope to host it again at Gemini as we
eagerly await its new facility-class KASI twin
to be commissioned in ~2023.
In other instrument news, SCORPIO (the
Spectrograph and Camera for Observations
of Rapid Phenomena in the Infrared and
Optical, formerly known as OCTOCAM) has
completed its Preliminary Design Review
and remains on budget and on schedule
for commissioning in 2022. The first peer re-
view (the Optics Peer Review) of the Critical
Design Stage, will be held in Madrid, Spain,
on July 31st.
Meanwhile, bonding and mounting of the
GHOST optics is well underway at the Na-
tional Research Council of Canada, and
both blue 4k × 4k and red 6k × 6k science
detectors are assembled into their cryo-
stats, ready to be tested.
Last but not least, with the support of the
Science and Technology Advisory Com-
mittee and Gemini Board of Directors, the
Observatory is gearing up to bring multi-
conjugate adaptive optics capabilities to
Maunakea, exploiting what is arguably the
best site on the planet for adaptive optics
(AO) science.
On a less positive note, I very much regret
the delay in the commissioning of the TOP-
TICA laser at Gemini North, and the inability
to offer AO laser operations in 2018B. The
causes of the delay have been identified
and corrected, and the Observatory is do-
ing everything possible to allow laser oper-
ations to be resumed in 2019A. Meanwhile,
the new TOPTICA laser commissioned at
Gemini South last fall continues to work
flawlessly.
2
GeminiFocus
I will close this GeminiFocus address with
one last piece of exciting news: namely the
expectation that the next GeminiFocus ad-
dress will be written by the new Gemini Di-
rector! Once the new Director takes office,
I will return to my position at the National
Research Council in Canada and looking
forward to the vision and opportunities a
new leadership will bring to Gemini and,
most of all, with a newfound appreciation
of the hard work, tremendous skills, drive,
and dedication that makes it possible to
operate the telescopes each ni