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2.4 Meter Telescope

The MRO 2.4-meter Telescope Project will be primarily utilized to observe, track, and characterize solar system astronomical targets, Earth satellites, space vehicles, and terrestrial military targets.

The 2.4-meter telescope has three basic objectives:
    • Classical astronomical research
    • DoD mission support (satellite remote sensing, space surveillance, and missile tracking)
    • Supporting and enhancing education and public outreach

he telescope's rapid tracking (slew rates are 10 degrees/sec) capability facilitates characterization studies of resident space objects in low-Earth orbits. Further, the facility can be used to respond to targets of opportunity that occur in asteroid studies (e.g., Near Earth Objects) and in astrophysics, such as gamma ray bursts and other transient phenomena. Planned instrumentation includes a 4k x 4k CCD imager (with a standard broadband filter set) and a low-resolution, wide-band simultaneous Visible/NIR spectrograph. The imager’s field of view extends to 11 arc minutes square, and we estimate that this system will have a 5-sigma detection limit of V~23.

First light for the 2.4 meter telescope occurred on October 31, 2006, and the facility is currently in its commissioning and integration phase. The first major science milestone for the facility was achieved when the 2.4 meter telescope was used to acquire data on the variability of Pluto's atmosphere as Pluto occulted a 15th magnitude star on March 18, 2007. Additional current science work includes follow up characterization studies of potentially hazardous Earth-crossing asteroids.

The telescope was manufactured by EOS Technologies, Inc. (Tucson, Arizona); the architectural and engineering firm that designed the support structures for the project was Dekker/Perich/Sabatini (Albuquerque, NM); the telescope foundation was done by AUI, Inc. (Albuquerque, NM); the pier, telescope enclosure, and control building was constructed by Rio Conchos Corporation (Albuquerque, New Mexico); and the 40-foot, fast-tracking dome for the telescope enclosure was manufactured by Observa-Dome (Jackson, MS).