This site uses cookies to help make it more useful and reliable. Our Cookies page explains what they are, which ones we use, and how you can manage or remove them. — Don't show this message again

Projects

Yes

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 
No

Current Projects

Projects UK ATC is currently working on, developing, designing or constructing.​
  • A-DOT
    A-DOT (Active Deployable Optical Telescope) is a small versatile space telescope currently in the research and design phase.
  • Aerial photo of the ALMA observatory in the desert in Chile.
    ALMA
    ALMA (the Atacama Large Millimetre Array), is the largest and most sensitive telescope in the world at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths.
  • AtLAST
    AtLAST (Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope) is a concept for a next generation 50-metre single-dish observatory.
  • CUBES
    CUBES (Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph) is a near-ultraviolet instrument for ESO’s Very Large Telescope.
  • The construction of the Extremely Large Telescope seen in silhouette with the sun burning bright behind.
    Extremely Large Telescope
    The UK ATC is working on multiple instruments for the ELT: HARMONI, METIS, ANDES and MOSAIC
  • Artsist concept of the James Webb Space Telescope.
    James Webb Space Telescope
    The UK's main contribution to JWST is MIRI (the Mid InfraRed Instrument) one of four major scientific instruments onboard.
  • Artists concept of what LISA will look like in space. It looks like a disc firing lasers.
    LISA
    LISA (​The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) will be the first gravitational wave observatory in space.
  • MARVEL
    MARVEL is a four-telescope observatory dedicated to the study of exoplanets.
  • A close up of one of the cameras in MOONS.
    MOONS
    MOONS (the Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph) is a next generation spectrograph destined for the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
  • The ORP logo which features a series of telescopes in silhouette against the night sky.
    ORP
    ORP (the OPTICON RadioNet Pilot) brings together the ground-based astronomy community across Europe.
  • SKAO
    The SKAO (Square Kilometre Array Observatory) will be the world’s largest radio observatory.

Active Projects

Projects and instruments that UK ATC has completed and ​are active in the field.
  • ERIS and NIX
    Installed on the Very Large Telescope in Chile, ERIS (Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph) combines an imager (NIX) and an integral-field spectrograph (SPIFFIER).
  • HiPERCAM
    HiPERCAM is a high-speed astronomical camera that can record up to 1000 images per second.
  • Astronomical instrument KMOS's 24 configurable arms.
    KMOS
    KMOS (the K-band Multi Object Spectrograph) is a second-generation instrument designed for operation on the Very Large Telescope.
  • Michelle
    Michelle (Mid-Infrared Echelle Spectrograph) is a long slit spectrometer/imager designed to work in the mid-infrared.
  • SCUBA2, which is alarge blue and metal astronomical instrument, in the Crawford Lab
    SCUBA 2
    SCUBA 2 (the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2) is a second generation instrument on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.
  • The VISTA telescope in Chile.
    VISTA
    VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) was conceived as the first fully integrated telescope and infrared camera system.

Past Projects

Completed projects that have finished their science goals.​
  • NASA's Global Hawk pilotless aircraft which looks line an airplane with no windows
    GHOST
    GHOST (GreenHouse Gas Observations of the Stratosphere and Troposphere) uses technology designed for astronomy to monitor climate change.
  • ReD
    ReD (Retinal Densitometer) uses astronomy technology to help detect sight loss.
  • Artist's concept of the Herschel Space Observatory.
    SPIRE
    The UK ATC was part of a consortium of 15 institutes which built SPIRE (the Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver instrument) for the Herschel Space Observatory.