OCTOCAM: What’s Up; What’s Next

From left to right: Antonio de Ugarte Postigo, Principal Investigator (IAA); Ruben Diaz, Instrument Program Scientist (Gemini); Cathy Blough, Contracts Specialist (Gemini); Morten Andersen, Project Scientist (Gemini); Stephen Goodsell, Gemini Technical Representative; Alexander van der Horst, Project Scientist (GWU); Manual Maldonado Medina, Mechanical (Fractal); Christina Thöne, Deputy Project Manager (IAA); Ronnie Killough, Control Software (SwRI); Susan Pope, Systems Engineer (SwRI); Pete Roming, Project Manager (SwRI); Scot Kleinman, Gemini Associate Director, Development; and Jeff Radwick, Systems Engineer (Gemini).

The OCTOCAM team, including members from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA), Fractal, George Washington University (GWU), and Gemini, met in Granada, Spain on April 19th to formally kick off the project to bring the next new facility instrument to Gemini. Everyone agrees that the meeting was a huge success and the entire team is anxious to get started.

Next up is the System Requirements Review - held on May 16^th. The first stage will conclude with the Conceptual Design Review which will be held in Hilo on the 2^nd and 3^rd of August.