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Rubin Observatory Operations Documentation#

Important

This documentation area is under heavy development and only in the very early stages of design. It should not be used nor consulted for a place of information at this time.

Observatory Operations consists of multiple levels of interactions and procedures occurring simultaneously in many places and timezones. This section of documentation focuses on the resources needed for observers, commissioning personnel, and support staff to facilitate night-time operations.

The scope of this area of documentation is to provide a centralized, version controlled space where resources are either located, or linked appropriately. The content is provided as reference only. All aspects of the project that go through strict change control (e.g. mirror procedures) should only be linked to these pages.

Safety: Quick Reference for Nighttime Personnel#

Warning

Safety of personnel first and equipment second is the utmost priority of Rubin Observatory. The safety information here is meant to serve as a quick look for nighttime support staff in case of an emergency on the summit.

It does not replace the required safety training to be on the summit at night. This includes:

  • Procedures on who (and how) to call when there is an issue

  • Location of keys, passwords etc

  • What to do in case of vehicle failure, power-outage, fire etc.

  • Procedures to enter telescope spaces during operations (e.g. AuxTel)

  • Emergency meeting locations etc.

Daytime Operations#

This section encapsulates procedures for normal operations, such as calibrations routines and standard telescope checkout. Any non-standard procedures, such as shutdown recovery and non-standard operations are featured in a different section (link TBD).

Daytime/Nighttime Interactions#

This section describes the procedures for documenting events and work completed during the day and night. Daytime work should be summarized concisely to minimize the time for the night staff to prepare for on sky observations. Night events should be well-documented so day time staff can resolve issues as efficiently as possible.

Nighttime Operations#

Standard nighttime operations are listed in this section. This includes opening the telescopes for data collection and end-of-night procedures. Special operations or engineering tasks are described in a different section (link TBD).

Non-Standard Operations#

This includes any non-standard operations often requiring unique protocols or manual interventions, such as shutdown and recovery of the computer room, response to incidents, etc.

Troubleshooting#

This section includes information on current known issues that are not addressed in other areas of the documentation. Content includes temporary issues and potential work-arounds. The section is continually updated as the observatory system evolves and develops. If the problem persists after exhausting all documented procedures, ensure safety of the equipment, stop work, and call for help.

Project Documentation Information#

Describes information regarding this documentation tree, including how to contribute.

Observing Interface Setup#

Contains detailed instructions on how to set the required environment for operations and/or interaction with the system during testing and commissioning.

System Testing, Deployments, and Upgrades#

Content moved to https://obs-controls.lsst.io/.