UK Astronomy Technology Centre

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}

{{third-party|date=February 2013}}

{{Infobox organization

|name = UK Astronomy Technology Centre

|image = Stfc-ukatc-logo.gif

|size = 309px

|caption = UK ATC logo

|abbreviation = UK ATC

|formation = 1998

|status = Research council establishment

|purpose = Technology development for astronomy

|location = Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, Scotland

|coords = {{coord|55|55|23|N|3|11|16|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|region_served = United Kingdom and beyond

|parent_organization = Science and Technology Facilities Council

|website = [https://www.ukatc.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/home.aspx UK ATC]

}}

The UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) is based at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

The UK ATC designs, builds, develops, tests and manages major instrumentation projects in support of UK and international Astronomy. It has design offices, workshops and test facilities for both ground- and space-based instruments, including a suite of test labs capable of handling the largest current and projected instruments.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/information/aboutukatc.pdf UK Astronomy Technology Centre] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519232926/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/information/aboutukatc.pdf |date=19 May 2011 }}. UK ATC information sheet. Retrieved 5 January 2011.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/information/facilities.pdf Facilities and expertise] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519230918/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/information/facilities.pdf |date=19 May 2011 }}. UK ATC information sheet. Retrieved 5 January 2011.

The UK ATC was formed in 1998 in Edinburgh from the technology departments of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh (ROE), and the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge (RGO). Its initial "customers" were the then new Gemini Observatory, the former ROE observatories in Hawaii (the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT)), and a former RGO observatory, the Isaac Newton Group on La Palma, Canary Islands.[http://www.stfc.ac.uk/UKATC/35238.aspx UK ATC history]. UK ATC. Retrieved 1 April 2012. More recently, collaboration with the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have gained importance. Major projects and collaborations include:

• Several first-generation instruments for the Gemini Observatory.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/gcal/index.html GCAL The Gemini Facility Calibration Unit]. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/gmos/index.html GMOS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203002/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/gmos/index.html |date=21 July 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/gpol/index.html GPol]. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• A mid-infrared spectrometer for the UKIRT and the Gemini Observatory.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/michelle/index.html Michelle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203036/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/michelle/index.html |date=21 July 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• Data acquisition and reduction software for the UKIRT and the JCMT.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/orac/index.html ORAC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203044/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/orac/index.html |date=21 July 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• The Wide Field Infrared Camera for the UKIRT.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/wfcam/ WFCAM] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203059/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/wfcam/ |date=21 July 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver of the Herschel Space Observatory.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/spire/ SPIRE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721203105/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/spire/ |date=21 July 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• The Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for UK universities and ESO.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/vista/index.html VISTA] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109022754/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/vista/index.html |date=9 January 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• A high-sensitivity, wide-field, sub-millimetre camera for the JCMT (SCUBA2).[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/scubatwo/index.html SCUBA 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202100821/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/scubatwo/index.html |date=2 February 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• The MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) for the JWST.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/miri/index.html MIRI]. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• Observing tool software for the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/alma/index.html ALMA – The Atacama Large Millimetre Array] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519233706/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/alma/index.html |date=19 May 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• Design studies for ESO's European Extremely Large Telescope.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/elt/ The UK role in the European Extremely Large Telescope] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213001211/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/elt/ |date=13 February 2012 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• An infrared K-band multi-object spectrometer for ESO's Very Large Telescope.[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/kmos/index.html KMOS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126012230/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/kmos/index.html |date=26 January 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
• The European Union funded Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy (OPTICON).[http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/opticon/index.html OPTICON] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519233235/http://www.roe.ac.uk/ukatc/projects/opticon/index.html |date=19 May 2011 }}. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.

Following increased government emphasis on knowledge transfer and declining funds for the Science and Technology Facilities CouncilPaul Crowther (2007-2011). [http://pacrowther.staff.shef.ac.uk/stfc.html STFC Funding Crisis: Astronomy]. Retrieved 5 January 2011. the UK ATC is increasingly working on projects with astronomical institutions beyond the UK and the EU, with institutions dedicated to science and technology other than astronomy, and with technology-related businesses.[http://www.atcinnovations.com/what-we-offer/index.html ATC Innovations – what we offer]. UK ATC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.