GeminiFocus October 2014 | Page 18

nation by lasers and enables passive monitoring of Aircraft Transponders. The Base Facility Operations team has successfully installed TBAD hardware and electronics at both Gemini sites; these are now being integrated into the Laser Guide Star systems for aircraft detection. The TBAD antenna is located on the top ring of the telescope and bore-sighted with the laser (Figure 1). In this position, TBAD tracks with the telescope and laser throughout the night. In addition, an external device, TSIM (Transponder Simulator), has been mounted inside of the dome for TBAD operational tests and verification. Gemini is a partner with the W.M. Keck and Subaru observatories in the development and acceptance of the TBAD system. TBAD is a result of a study conducted by W.M. Keck Observatory. In that study, Keck successfully installed, tested, and incorporated the TBAD system on the Keck 2 telescope. They also received a letter of “No Objection” from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow the use of TBAD as their primary aircraft detection system. Keck has since purchased TBAD for Keck 1. At the same time, Gemini and Subaru were invited to participate in the purchase, building, and installation of TBAD systems for their telescopes. GIFS RfP Now Released! Gemini Observatory is pleased to announce the release of the Gemini Instrument Feasibility Studies (GIFS) Request for Proposals (RfP). The project is part of a program that will present to the Observatory several study reports and presentations on communitycreated, science-driven instrument designs that conform to desired principles identified by Gemini’s Science and Technology Advisory Committee. A total of U.S. $300,000 has been budgeted for this project. Gemini intends to award three or more fixed-price GIFS contracts, with the maximum budget for each study limited to U.S. $100,000. Gemini is currently looking for science-driven, feasibility studies based on a facility instrument that will cost between U.S. $8,000,000 and U.S. $12,000,000 to design, build, test, and commission in six years or less. The RfP was issued on September 19th and is open worldwide, and not restricted to the Gemini community. The study Figure 2. Tom Murphy (center, behind computer screen), who designed the TBAD system, provides on-site training and characterization of TBAD in Hilo for Gemini and other Mauna Kea observatories. 16 GeminiFocus October 2014