Speaker
Description
Abstract The Observatory Control System (OCS), a comprehensive software package developed by Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO), helps automate a number of important steps related to the robotic operations of an optical observatory. For example, managing the configuration database of telescopes, instruments, and components, observation submission and scheduling, handling various alerts, etc. The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) recently integrated a version of the OCS package into the central architecture of the Intelligent Observatory (IO) programme. The IO is an ambitious project to modernize and robotize the observing facilities owned by SAAO and others in collaboration, mainly to prepare these as multi-functional, multi-channel rapid followup machines in the southern hemisphere. The scientific motivations behind IO also include preparedness for the LSST-based campaigns. The OCS serves as a communication channel between the proposer and the telescope control system (TCS), and vice versa. The current version of integrated architecture has helped the IO team operate the Lesedi telescope (1m aperture) at Sutherland in completely robotic mode. In this workshop, I shall be describing various functionality of the OCS, a brief IO architecture, and how IO has enabled the robotized operation of Lesedi. I shall also discuss the broad vision of the IO programme.
