Planned GLAST Mission
From the NASA Announcement of Opportunity (AO 99-OSS-03)
After a 30-60 day in-orbit checkout, GLAST will conduct twelve months of scanning observations. The scanning pattern will be selected to cover the entire sky in a manner that is scientifically optimized. The scanning observations of the first year may be interrupted only to respond to extraordinary Targets of Opportunity. Subsequent years of operation will consist of a combination of scanning and pointing observations as driven by competitive Guest Observer proposals.
During the first year of operations following the in-orbit checkout period, the Large Area Telescope instrument team will be responsible for calibration of the instrument and verification of the data. The LAT instrument team will be responsible for the conduct of an all-sky survey during the first year of operations. It is anticipated that the team will develop a catalog of high-energy gamma-ray sources and carry out other science investigations as detailed in their IPI proposal. All data from the first year of operations will be placed in the GLAST public data archive within 12 months of receipt of data, in useable form. A shorter period may be negotiated following selection. This period of time will allow for instrument calibration and data verification. During the first year, IDS investigators will work with the LAT team, will have access to the data, and will assist in the data verification activities.
During the first twelve months of science operations, data from specific sources of interest to qualified individual researchers will be made available upon request to the Guest Observer Facility. Note that large projects, i.e., those involving large number of sources and/or very long observing times, will not be permitted by outside researchers during this period. At all times, including the first twelve months of science operations, the data from transient sources discovered or detected by GLAST will immediately be made publicly available. During the first twelve months of operations, the instrument may not have been completely calibrated, and, thus, any data made available may be unvalidated and unverified.
Interdisciplinary Scientists should propose science investigations that can be carried out using data from the all-sky survey and/or data from the GLAST public data archive. No specific instrument pointings or other science operations of the GLAST satellite are expected to be carried out to support IDS investigations.
After the first twelve months, the GLAST observing program will be based upon a Guest Observer program for which NASA intends to release periodic calls for proposals. Proposals will be competitively peer reviewed, and the selected set of investigations will comprise the GLAST viewing plan. Data that are gathered for a selected investigation will be verified by the Guest Observer. After a three month data verification period, the data will be delivered to the SOC for inclusion in the GLAST public data archive. Data that are not gathered in response to a selected science investigation will be verified by the GLAST Guest Observer Facility. The data will be placed in the GLAST public data archive after a two week data verification period.
Key Projects may be carried out within the GLAST Guest Observer program. These are defined as large science investigations that involve new pointed or scanning observations or large scale utilization of the GLAST public data archive. Key Projects will be solicited from the scientific community (including instrument team members and IDS's) and selected through the Guest Observer program competitive peer review. Key Projects may be proposed based upon observations and/or archival data obtained during any part of the mission, including the first twelve months. However, Key Projects using archival data from the first twelve months must be compatible with the LAT team's all-sky survey and other science investigations selected under this AO. Observational data for Key Projects will be verified by the investigation team; after a three month data verification period, they will be delivered to the SOC for inclusion in the GLAST public data archive.