Optimizing the observing efficiency of the James Webb Space Telescope

Karl D. Gordon; Victoria Balzano; William Blair; Henry Ferguson; Wayne Kinzel; Jennifer Lotz; Jane R. Rigby; George Sonneborn; Jason Tumlinson

doi:10.1117/12.926130

13 September 2012 Optimizing the observing efficiency of the James Webb Space Telescope

Karl D. Gordon, Victoria Balzano, William Blair, Henry Ferguson, Wayne Kinzel, Jennifer Lotz, Jane R. Rigby, George Sonneborn, Jason Tumlinson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8448, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems IV; 84481U (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.926130
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2012, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

One of the goals of the operations system being developed at the Space Telescope Science Institute for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is to produce the most efficient use of the observatory that is scientifically justified. To first order, this means maximizing the amount of time spent collecting photons on science targets while ensuring the health and safety of the observatory and obtaining the necessary calibration data. We present recent efforts by the JWST EfficiencyWorking Group at STScI to quantify the expected observing efficiency based on current plans for the operations system. These include collecting the expected observatory and instrument overheads and updating a set of prototypical observing programs that will approximate over one full year of JWST observations. The combination of these two efforts is being used to investigate the expected observing efficiency and determine revised strategies to minimize overheads and maximize this efficiency.

Citation Download Citation

Karl D. Gordon, Victoria Balzano, William Blair, Henry Ferguson, Wayne Kinzel, Jennifer Lotz, Jane R. Rigby, George Sonneborn, and Jason Tumlinson "Optimizing the observing efficiency of the James Webb Space Telescope", Proc. SPIE 8448, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems IV, 84481U (13 September 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.926130

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