Lessons Learned from CARA

As members of CARA, we have played vital roles in the IR characterization of the South Pole site and the design, construction, fielding, and operation of the Abu/SPIREX, AASTO, and AST/RO instruments. We intend to build on the CARA experience. We have learned from our many years at the South Pole that a successful experiment on the ice requires:

Simplicity - Because staffing is limited and the site quite remote, complex systems at the South Pole usually fail. We therefore require a simple design to build instruments that are easy to fix and maintain.

Reliability - If an experiment breaks at the beginning of the Austral winter, it will take 8 months before the arrival of the next supply plane. Successful experiments are engineered for extreme reliability and robustness.

Automation - Many experiments at the South Pole require human operation, but with a single winter-over scientist it is impossible to keep these experiments running round-the-clock. This is an extraordinary waste of valuable telescope time and logistical resources. Robotic automation obviates this problem.

Testing - A common mistake in Antarctica is to deploy an experiment before it is fully and thoroughly tested. Subtle problems that can lead to failure sometimes arise if the instrument is shipped to Pole prematurely. We have learned that the most successful experiments have had a lengthy test period at temperate climates.

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jackson@bu.edu