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| Paper: |
Spitzer Space Telescope: Unprecedented Efficiency and Excellent Science on a Limited Budget |
| Volume: |
461, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXI |
| Page: |
125 |
| Authors: |
Storrie-Lombardi, L. J. |
| Abstract: |
The Spitzer Space Telescope completed nearly six years of cryogenic
operations in 2009 and in August 2011 began the third year of ‘warm’
science observations. Over 50,000 hours of science have been executed
in the first 8 years of the mission. Nearly 40% of the cryogenic
mission project budget was devoted to data analysis funding provided
directly to the astronomical community. For the warm mission, the
observatory was effectively reinvented as a new, scientifically productive
mission operating at a substantially lower cost. In this paper we discuss
how the design of the science operations, observing modes and observing
program for the cryogenic mission led to very high observing efficiencies
and maximized the observatory time devoted to science.
The philosophy of maximizing science output per dollar has continued in
the warm mission. The transition to warm operations has maintained an
outstanding science program while reducing the project budget by nearly
70% from the cryogenic mission level. |
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