SMA ASSEMBLY FACILITY AT WESTFORD, MA

Last update: 02/15/95

Purpose:

The preparation of a temporary observing site in Westford has several goals:

1) to provide a convenient local facility where the antennas may be assembled and tested prior to shipment to the Mauna Kea site;

2) provide additional office space for the SMA team during construction;

3 ) decouple the construction of the array from the preparations of the final observing site; and

4) reduce the cost of the array construction by doing as much as possible at a favorable elevation.

On the grounds of the Haystack Observatory , Westford, Ma., approximately 1/3 miles from route 40 on the Haystack access road near the Westford/Groton town line.

The temporary observing site consists of three main components:

1) a 45 x 45 x45 foot building for the assembly of the antennas ;

2) a 2000 ft sq office/lab space outfitted with four offices and a central lab; and

3) a duplicate of four of the six antenna pads in the innermost ring of the SMA.

The site is connected to the MIT ethernet system, allowing it to access Internet through the Haystack.edu address. It will, in addition, be equipped with a 90 GHz radio source on a nearby tower to permit antenna panel alignment using holography.

The assembly building will allow the antennas to be assembled, two at a time, after which they will be placed for testing on the nearby observing pads. The assembly building, designed by Leo A. Daly of Honolulu, is nearly identical to the one planned on Mauna Kea and is equipped with a 30 ton overhead crane that will eventually be moved to the final site. The communications systems between the buildings and the observing pads are intended to be identical to those planned for Mauna Kea and will permit a complete mockup of all array functions, including the security arrangements.

The assembly hall and all the civil work were finished by 10 December of 1993 by R.C. Griffin of Lynn, Ma. The office trailer, rented from Pope Building Systems of Plattsville, N.H., was installed the next week. The supporting infrastructure was ready to support the transporter assembly beginning in late January 1994. Since then a staff of ten has been resident and working on the first two antenna structures. The site is expected to be occupied until early 1997, after which it will be partially restored and abandoned to the land owner.

Pictures of the completed building and some of the assembly hall components can be found here from our SMA HOME PAGE.