Managing Under a Six-Nation Partnership

Gemini Observatory

soon to be Five

Gemini SouthCerro Pachon, Chile

Gemini NorthMauna Kea, Hawaii

Gemini Observatory, constructed 1999-2000, consists of twin 8.1-m infrared-optimized telescopes with exquisite optics located on two of the best sites for observing the universe. Together these telescopes access the entire sky.

“Two telescopes, one observatory”

The Partnership

• Partner countries and their current shares are listed in the table below.

• The UK have announced their decision to withdraw at the end of 2012.

• As a result, and with changes in Australian and Brazilian involvement, revenues will decline and shares will transition as: ($ are O&M/Instr, in M)

Partner 2010 (% $) Post-2012

U.S 50.1% $15.9M/3.2M

66.3%

U.K. 22.7% $7.6M/0.4M

0.0%

Canada 15.0% $4.8M/0.5M

18.9%

Australia 6.2% $2.0M/0.3M

5.0%

Brazil 5.0% $0.8M/0.0M

6.6%

Argentina 2.4% $0.8M/0.3M

3.1%

Total 100% $31.9M/4.7M

100% $24.3M/???

• The increased share for the U.S. amounts to about +50 nights/yr for the general astronomical community on the two telescopes combined.

-24%

Gemini Management

NSF serves as the executive agency for the international partnership

• Partners– Funding Agencies– Signatories to the Agreement– Appoint members to the Board– Determine new partners

• Board– Supervisory and regulatory body

established in the Gemini International Agreement– Composed of Agency officials and science community

representatives– Sets budget, approves key personnel and major contracts,

etc.– Determines action in event of default or withdrawal– Chile and Hawaii vote on scientific issues relevant to their

tenant telescope

Management Roles & Responsibilities

• NSF– “Executive Agency” - on behalf of partner agencies – Board member: Ulvestad Program Officer: Schmidt

(Foltz)– Arranges for Managing Organization (currently

AURA)– Handles all fiscal matters– Provides technical and managerial oversight in

consultation with Board– Conducts and coordinates reviews– Provides Secretariat to the Board (Pentecost)

• AURA, Inc. – Chosen as current Managing Organization by NSF,

with approval of the Gemini Board.– Operates Gemini under separate Cooperative

Agreement.– Negotiates with host countries, employs legal counsel,

enters into contracts, manages the project, assumes fiduciary responsibility

– Advised by AURA Observatory Council – Gemini (AOCG)

Management Roles & Responsibilities (cont)

• Gemini International Observatory– Advised by Gemini Science Committee– Operations Working Group, AO Working Group– Convenes International Telescope Allocation

Committee (ITAC)

• National Gemini Offices (NGOs)– National portals to Gemini– Provide information to national users; process

proposals; convene national TAC; etc.– Funded by partners– The U.S. NGO is the NOAO Gemini Science Center

(Tucson)– Advised by National Science Advisory Committee

Management Roles & Responsibilities (cont)

Highlights – The First Directly-Imaged Planet around a Sun-like Star

Gemini AO image of 1RXS J160929.1-210524 and its ~8 Jupiter-mass companion (in red circle). Picture is a composite of J-, H, and K-band near-IR images. Obtained with the ALTAIR laser/natural guide star system and Near-Infrared Imager (NIRI) on the Gemini North telescope. Note 1 arcsec scale at bottom left.

Highlights – MCAO Constellation GeMS

50-watt laser (above) is projected as a 5-spot constellation covering 1 sq. arcmin by GeMS to illuminate the sodium layer ~90 km above Cerro Pachon, Jan. 22, 2011.

Successful execution of the Gemini queue requires:

1. Detailed planning on a variety of timescales (months to minutes).

2. Observers adept in the use of all mounted (up to 5!) instruments.

3. All potential instruments ready and calibrated.4. Real-time data QA/QC by Gemini staff.

The queue provides increased flexibility and observing efficiency, albeit at a cost.

The Queue is the Default Operations Mode

Primary sources of lost time are weather, fault, shutdown, engineering, commissioning.

Delivering on Commitments – Observing Efficiency

• Management and governance complexity– International partnership demands a more

active role than traditional for NSF– Local politics and economies, variation in

Chilean peso exchange rate

• Transition to reduced budget post-UK withdrawal– New AURA proposal for management of Gemini

Observatory 2012-2015 was submitted Jan. 31, and will be reviewed with site visit Mar. 21-24.

– Essential aspect of transition is ~24% budget reduction, including ~32 FTEs

– Elements of proposed transition:•Maintain high-quality instrumentation, queue

operations, remote observing•Improve interface to user community•Reduce engineering, limit instrument complement,

implement software queue, reduce travel, migrate queue observing to non-scientific staff.

Challenges - I

• Responding to Astro2010– Support from national communities

•Proposal process• Instrumentation

– Instrumentation•First science observations with GNIRS•Commissioning of GeMS MCAO system•Pre-ship testing of GPI•Problems with Flamingos 2•Renewing efforts to obtain high-resolution optical

spectrograph

– Relationship to NOAO & other partner facilities. Concepts being considered by international “Tiger Team” of Gemini Board members, being led by AST Director J. Ulvestad

Challenges - II

Supplementary Slides

Delivering on Commitments – Program Completion

Completion rates have increased since 2004 (grey vs. other colors), but large proposal development effort causes continued proposer frustration, particularly for Band 3 programs.