A project to build a 3-billion pixel Large Synoptic Survey Telescope(LSST) has got the nod of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The project, overseen by LSST Corporation, has received Critical Decision -1 (CD-1) from DOE. A detailed engineering design, schedule, and budget phase will start shortly, and the construction of the telescope could begin 2014.
LSST‘s 3.2 billion-pixel telescope can capture the widest and deepest view of the night sky. It is specially made for the research of of the entire visible sky. The project will be funded by DOE and the National Science Foundation, as well as a large partnership of public and private organizations in the United States and abroad.
Nadine Kurita, the project manager for the LSST camera at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory said that “With 189 sensors and over three tons of components that have to be packed into an extremely tight space, you can imagine this is a very complex instrument, but given the enormous challenges required to provide such a comprehensive view of the universe, it’s been an incredible opportunity to design something so unique.”
Source: Zdnet
[ttjad keyword=”dslr-camera”]
budget phase will start shortly, and the construction of the telescope could begin 2014.