End-to-end science operations in the era of extremely large telescopes

TL;DR

This paper describes the comprehensive end-to-end science operations process for upcoming extremely large telescopes, emphasizing efficiency, user-friendliness, and maximizing scientific output.

Contribution

It provides a detailed overview of the end-to-end process and its implementation for three major ELTs, highlighting their operational strategies.

Findings

Framework for ELT science operations outlined

Tools and processes for efficient observation management described

Enhances user experience and scientific productivity

Abstract

Observatory end-to-end science operations is the overall process starting with a scientific question, represented by a proposal requesting observing time, and ending with the analysis of observation data addressing that question, and including all the intermediate steps needed to plan, schedule, obtain, and process these observations. Increasingly complex observing facilities demand a highly efficient science operations approach and at the same time be user friendly to the astronomical user community and enable the highest possible scientific return. Therefore, this process is supported by a collection of tools. In this paper, we describe the overall end-to-end process and its implementation for the three upcoming extremely large telescopes (ELTs), ESO's ELT, the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT).