Dome C

1
Constructing Telescopes in Antarctica
John W.V. Storey
Image Tony Travouillon
2
Getting the components there, building the
telescope, and operating it.
Image John Storey
3
Dome C is a French/Italian station that will be
open year-round from 2005
Dome C

• Mawson

• Davis

• Casey

• Hobart

Image Australian Antarctic Division
4
Logistic support of Dome C is via Hobart.
Image John Storey
5
LAstrolabe brings heavy items from Hobart to
Dumont dUrville in 6 days...
Image John Storey
6
...thence by tractor-traverse to Dome C.
Image Patrik Kaufmann
7
The tractor-traverse takes 11 days to get from
the coast to Dome C.

• Three traverses/year (currently)
• Each traverse delivers 150 tonnes
• Fuel consumption 600 litres/tonne
• Twelve-metre sleds essentially no size or
  weight restrictions

8
From 2005, the Australian Antarctic Division
air-link will be in place.
3.9 hrs
Dome C
Image Australian Antarctic Division
9
The AASTINO was assembled by 3 people in 10
hours, at -30C.
10
Lets assume that things take twice at long at
Dome C...
Image Patrik Kaufmann
11
...because some people just cant resist goofing
off.
Image Geanpiero Venturi
12
Image Karim Agabi
13
Image Patrik Kaufmann
14
Image John Storey
15
EOST estimate for construction times (temperate
site) for 2-metre telescope.

• Mech Eng 3 4 weeks
• Mech Tech 2 3 weeks
• Elec Eng 2 weeks
• Optical Eng 1 week
• SW Eng 2 week
• Total (worst case)
• 14 person-weeks
• 6 weeks elapsed time
• 5 personnel

Image EOST
16
Lets double these times (to account for the
goofing off).

• Total (worst case)
• 28 person-weeks
• 12 weeks elapsed time
• 5 personnel

This represents less than the combined UNSW and
University of Nice deployment at Dome C for a
single summer.
Image EOST
17
Construction costs
Image John Storey
18
What did it cost us to build the AASTINO at Dome
C, and what would it have cost if wed done it at
Siding Spring?
Image John Storey
19
Dome C (actual costs) Road transport,
Sydney Hobart, 4 tonnes (includes separate
dangerous goods shipping) 5185 Return airfare
Sydney Hobart, three people _at_
500 1,860 Accommodation in Hobart, 2 nights x 3
people 720 Hire of bulldozer, 8 hrs 0 Hire
of crane, 2 x 1/2 day 0 Connection to power
grid 0 Hire of three 2-way radios, 4 weeks
0 Hire of container during construction 0 J
et A1 fuel 2,300 litres 0 ------ To
tal Dome C 7,765
Siding Spring (estimated costs based on
quotes) Road transport, Sydney SSO, 4
tonnes 2,000 Hire of car, 4 weeks _at_
300/week 1,200 Accommodation at Lodge, 28
nights x 3 people _at_ 102.30 8,593 Hire of
bulldozer, 8 hrs _at_ 150/hr 1,200 Hire of
crane, 2 x 1/2 day _at_ 900 per 1/2
day 1,800 Connection to power grid (including
pole) 950 Hire of three 2-way radios, 4 weeks
300 Hire of container during
construction 2,500 Jet A1 fuel 2,300
litres 2,300 ------- Total Siding
Spring 20,843
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PILOT Pathfinder for an International Large
Optical Telescope
21
For PILOT (15 tonnes gross weight), lets ignore
the possible savings, take the worst case and
double it, and assume we have to pay for all the
transport...
Image Patrik Kaufmann
22
Well pay for our share of the icebreaker
charter, and our share of its operating costs...
Image John Storey
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...well pay for our share of the
tractor-traverse to Dome C.
Image Patrik Kaufmann
24
Then that all comes to...
...5 of an Astrolabe voyage, plus 10 of a
traverse...
A54k.
...plus GST
Image Patrik Kaufmann
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Of course, there are also the violent storms that
dump metres of snow in just a few hours...
...but fortunately they only occur on Mauna Kea.
(Image courtesy Keck Observatory)