Overview | Technical | Images | Contributors

This page will be updated regularly

Developments to date:

10/22/2001	Dual filter wheels and test collimation lenses provided by University of North Carolina.
10/25/2001	Queensgate EC50WF etalon and CS-100 controller provided by Patrick Harigan of Rice University. Preliminary optical tests show that the etalon and controller provide a stable ring pattern.
11/29/2001	IR Labs ND-8 LN2 dewar for detector testing supplied by Ball Aerospace.
2/14/2002	Placed order for the Mauna Kea Filter set JHK filters
4/12/2002	Preliminary design review. A agreement was quickly reached on the purchase of the Rockwell Hawaii 1RG 1k x 1k HgCdTe focal plane array. To our knowledge, NIC-FPS is the first ground-based instrument to use this detector.
5/1/2002	Mauna Kea Filter set H and K filters arrived from Barr Associates, Inc.
7/26/2002	Critical design review.
10/22/2002	Mounted lens assemblies from Janos have been ordered.
1/28/2003	Minutes from the telecon with Apache Point Observatory.
4/4/2003	One-year progress review, presentations listed below
6/20/2003	Preliminary fit check of the main housing goes smoothly.
7/3/2003	Initial vacuum pump down of the housing yields pressures ~ mid 10^-5 torr. Helium leak check sources the bolt holes of the main housing side doors.
8/1/2003	Cold stand off is machined and plated with iridite.
10/25/2003	Optics bench checks to be perpendicular with little deflection from rotation or weight.
12/20/2003	Heaters, charcoal getters, thermal straps and thermal sensors are installed. Mounting plate to the Nasmyth port at Apache Point Observatory is machined and fit to the front housing.
1/20/2004	NIC-FPS is currently undergoing a series of thermal tests, the first of which went quite well.
4/20/2004	Etalon and filter wheels are being tested. Internal surfaces have been painted with Aeroglaze. Optics bench is having holes drilled and components will be integrated shortly.
5/1//2004	Detector has produced its first image.
5/15//2004	Thermal blankets are finished and installed.
6/5/2004	Optical alignment test is now being setup and will commence next week.
7/29/2004	Optics, detector, filter wheels and etalon are installed and being tested in cold vacuum.
9/24/2004	The instrument leaves Casa on the first trip to Apache Point Observatory for preliminary tests. Click here for some photos.
10/1/2004	NIC-FPS returns to CASA where narrowband filter sets, and science grade detector chip are installed. Click for narrowband filter information.
11/17/2004	Instrument is installed at APO.
11/21/2004	The first series of sky images with the science grade chip are taken. Click here to view images.
1/25/2005	First remote observing done.
4/5/2005	Dewer is holding around 3 x 10^-7 torr with a 20 L/s ion pump running.
7/26/2005	Summer shutdown at Apache Point Observatory. Instrument is returned to CASA - ARL for testing new detector software and electronics, filter wheel modifications and a grism / slit installation. Etalon is still out of service.