58 -- PROCUREMENT OF TWO LASER LAUNCH TELESCOPES FOR ADAPTIVE OPTICS

Notice Date

February 7, 2001

Contracting Office

Gemini 8-M Telescopes Project, Aura, 950 N. Cherry Ave, PO Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85719

ZIP Code

85719

Solicitation Number

N210158

Point of Contact

Andrew Flach, Gemini Contracts Manager, 520-318-8537

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact Gemini Contracts Manager (aflach@gemini.edu)

Description

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. ("AURA") is seeking qualified vendors to design and build two off-axis laser beam expanders ("Laser Launce Telescopes") to be used as part of Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Systems for the Gemini North and Gemini South Observatories, two 8 meter optical/infrared telescopes located on the summits of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and Cerro Pachon, Chile. Adaptive optics systems remove distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence by making corrections to the incoming wavefront using a bright point of light in the area being observed as a reference. This reference point can be a bright star, or an artificial light source created by shooting a laser at the sky using a Laser Launch Telescope. The two Laser Launch Telescopes will be identical. They will be off-axis afocal laser beam expanders with a magnification ratio of 60, an exit pupil diameter of 45cm, very good wavefront quality and high throughput at 589nm. Each Laser Launch Telescope will be mounted behind the secondary mirror of the corresponding Gemini 8-m telescope, within the existing secondary mirror support structure, where it must fit within relatively tight weight and space envelopes. The Laser Launch Telescope will maintain focus to a high accuracy in spite of possibly large temperature variations and occasionally strong winds. In late March 2001 AURA will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for this procurement. The RFP will include conceptual optical and mechanical designs for the Laser Launch Telescopes. In the RFP vendors will be asked to propose preliminary optical and mechanical designs for the Laser Launch Telescopes, which can be based on the AURA conceptual design or on a different design proposed by the vendor. The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration to build and operate two 8 meter telescopes, one located on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the other located on Cerro Pachon in Chile. The Gemini partners include the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Australia. The Gemini project is operated by AURA under contract to the National Science Foundation. Firms that are interested in receiving Request for Proposal No. N210158 for this procurement should fax a letter of interest by no later than 1 March, 2001, to the Gemini Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85719, Attn: Contracts Manager, Request for Proposal No. N210158. Facsimile 520-318-8590.

Web Link

General information about the Gemini Observatory; no (http://www.gemini.edu)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010209/58SOL002.HTM (W-038 SN50D099)