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The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science will support Rubin Observatory in its operations phase to carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. They will also provide support for scientific research with the data. During operations, NSF funding is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF, and DOE funding is managed by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), under contract by DOE. Rubin Observatory is operated by NSF NOIRLab and SLAC.

NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.

The DOE Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

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  1. About
  2. Organization
  3. Departments and Teams

Departments and Teams

The Rubin Observatory is structured into four departments, each with multiple teams, that interact with each other, the science community, and the public as illustrated by the graphic below.

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Summit Operations

The Rubin Observatory Summit Operations team oversees all on-site activities at the Chilean facility, ensuring the telescope and its systems are fully functional for both commissioning and scientific observations. They coordinate nighttime data collection, daytime maintenance, and readiness efforts in close collaboration with partner institutions to support the observatory’s transition to full operations.

Leadership:

  • Sandrine Thomas, Associate Director, NOIRLab/NSF
  • Kevin Reil, Deputy Manager, SLAC/DOE
  • Travis Lange, Lead Camera Engineer, SLAC/DOE

Teams:

  • Summit Engineering
  • Camera
  • Summit Facility
  • Nighttime Operations
  • Summit Software
  • Summit Science
Data Management

The LSST Subsystem responsible for the Data Management System (DMS), which will capture, store, catalog, and serve the LSST dataset to the scientific community and public. The DM team is responsible for the DMS architecture, applications, middleware, infrastructure, algorithms, and Observatory Network Design.

Leadership:

  • Wil O'Mullane, Associate Director, NOIRLab/NSF
  • Yusra Alsayyad, Deputy Director, Princeton/DOE
  • Adam Bolton, Lead of USDF, SLAC/DOE

Teams:

  • Data Production
  • Data Services
  • Data Abstraction
  • Data Facilities
  • Data Acquisition and LHN
System Performance

The Rubin Observatory Operations System Performance team ensures that the observatory’s systems and workflows are aligned to meet its 10-year science goals. This team includes groups focused on survey scheduling, systems engineering, verification and validation, and community science support. These teams work together to optimize data quality, operational efficiency, and scientific output.

Leadership:

  • Leanne Guy, Associate Director, NOIRLab/NSF
  • Colin Slater, Deputy Manager, University of Washington/NSF

Teams:

  • Community Science
  • Verification and Validation
  • System Engineering
  • Survey Scheduling
Education and Public Outreach

Rubin Observatory will open up a whole new era of astronomical discovery for scientists, and Rubin Observatory's Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program will provide opportunities for a broader audience to interact with and explore Rubin Observatory data. Rubin Observatory is unique among large telescope projects in that its EPO program is being constructed in tandem with the observatory itself. For additional information, please send an email to education@lsst.org.

Leadership:

  • Alan Strauss, Head of EPO, NOIRLab/NSF

Teams:

  • Education
  • Outreach
  • Technical

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