Solving Design Challenges
Inspired by the scientific need to detect fainter and more distant sources, and to improve our understanding of brighter sources through imaging, spectroscopy and polarimetry our staff skills and design expertise have to cover key aspects of some of the most important topics in the field: optics and optical design, mechanical design and machining, electronics design and fabrication, real-time computer control and data capture and analysis.
Our engineering groups are responsible for these areas of expertise and design excellence. The engineering groups consist of the following design disciplines Applied Optics, Electronics, Mechanical, Software and Systems Engineering.
The UK ATC is providing novel design solutions through our work in major projects which currently include a key instrument (SCUBA 2) for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope; A mid infrared instrument (MIRI) for the James Webb Space Telescope; the VISTA telescope and infrared camera (VIR) and a multi object spectrograph (KMOS) for the ESO VLT in Chile.
STFC: Investing In The Future 2010-15
Impact through inspiration and innovation
The Science and Technology Facilities Council today announced a five-year £2.4 billion investment strategy in world-leading multi-disciplinary science and technology, designed to deliver maximum scientific, societal, international and economic benefit for the United Kingdom in the current tougher financial environment.
Statement by the Director UK ATC on the STFC Press Release of Dec 16th 2009
"We welcome STFC’s continued support of the UK ATC in these difficult times and we are especially pleased to see that that our highest priority programme, the European Extremely Large Telescope for ESO, is given strong support in the future programme."
Professor Ian Robson
Director UK ATC