IGRINS-2 Gets Underway

Although the Gemini telescopes are shut down right now, lots of work is still going on behind the scenes. One exciting project that is just getting started is a new instrument called IGRINS-2, being constructed at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). This new Facility Instrument will be an updated version of the existing Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) that is currently deployed as a Visiting Instrument at Gemini South.

Although we usually meet in person to kick off important engineering projects, we needed to find a new approach while our teams are unable to travel. So, at the end of March, the instrument development team at KASI met virtually with staff from both Gemini North and Gemini South in one large video conference. This meeting allowed us to get a start on the planning and design work for the upgrades that KASI will make to this unique instrument, which they hope to deliver to Gemini in 2023. We are looking forward to working with the team on this project, and on many more collaborations to come. While we are getting started on the new IGRINS-2 instrument, you can learn more about the existing IGRINS on Gemini South at this link, so that you can try it out when Gemini is once again open for science observations. For the Gemini User Community, the (infrared) future is looking bright!