RDOS INSTALLATION AT LEARMONTH SOLAR OBSERVATORY

A Rapidly Deployable Optical System (RDOS) was installed at Learmonth Solar Observatory in January 1996.

This equipment was installed as a test or "Pathfinder" demonstration to examine the feasibility of using the Learmonth, North West Cape site for the detection of Near Earth Objects (principally Asteroids and Comets) that might pose a hazard to life on earth. This hazard would be realised due to an object's orbit and kinetic energy. If such an object were to intercept the Earth, considerable damage could result due to the large energy released at the time of collisions.

The RDOS consists essentially of a Meade LX200 40 cm reflecting telescope and mount, together with a SBIG ST-8 CCD camera. A Pentium notebook computer is used to read out and store the data acquired by the camera.

The RDOS equipment was shipped from 50th Space Wing, USAF Space Command at Falcon Air Force Base, near Colorado Springs in Colorado. It arrived in Perth by Air New Zealand on Monday the 15th of January 1996. It was cleared through customs by Bell Freight International and arrived at Learmonth Solar Observatory at 0830L on the 17th.

The installation team, comprising of Major Brooks Myer and Captain Byron Hays, arrived on the 18th.

TELESCOPE INSTALLATION

	They are shown here inspecting and unpacking the 7 boxes of equipment that had arrived the day before. Lt Graham Steward, the Observatory NOAA Corps officer watches from the left.
The tripod is first set up. Capt. Hays (left) adjusts a locking nut to keep the tripod legs correctly fixed.
	After bolting the forks to the top of the tripod, the telescope tube is then lifted into place atop the forks. Major Myer (right) manoeuvers the side of the scope with the declination setting circle into the correct position.
Cables are attached, and final adjustments are made prior to the first night of testing.

RDOS dome was erected after return of the RDOS equipment to manufacturer. This dome was unfortunately destroyed in catergory 5 Cyclone Vance in March 1999.

PROJECT PERSONNEL

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