Although the NIFS contract has not been fully executed at this point in time, RSAA submits this monthly report on NIFS activities, covering the period from 31 July to 1 September 2000.

The period of uncertainty waiting for NSF approval of the NIFS contract continues. RSAA continued to ramp up design and fabrication work, appoint extra staff and place orders for equipment and materials, acknowledging the financial risks involved. Our commitments have now reached a level where we have become hesitant to place further significant orders. This may cause delays in the purchase and delivery of long leadtime items, eventually impacting on project completion. It is also holding up negotiations on a contract for cooperation with UH.

Progress on CC and IS software development, control system design and procurement, and cryostat and OIWFS duplication is being hampered by the non-availability of NIRI as-built documentation.

2.1 Staffing

The search for competent design and workshop staff continues. The two mechanical design engineer positions advertised recently received a poor response and have not been filled. Leigh Pfitzner, a designer from Auspace Ltd. is working at RSAA from 14 August till end of October to overcome the skills shortage. Other avenues to fill these positions will be explored.

The NIFS plan also calls for the temporary (18 months) appointment of three machinists in the workshop to fabricate parts for the NIRI duplication and later for the spectrograph. Mid June one casual appointment was made to start the work while the positions were advertised. A new appointee started on 21 August, the second on 4 September. The third position will be readvertised.

The advertisement for an electronics technical officer has brought a disappointing response and the situation will be reviewed soon. This is a continuing position vacated earlier in the year, which needs to be filled to allow the fabrication of the NIFS control system.

2.2 Progress

Our review of the optical design of the spectrograph is nearing completion. The previously reported problems with the camera design have been resolved. Camera ghosting has been reduced to below background level.

The assembly design of the grating mechanism is nearing completion, and a first pass design of all other spectrograph assemblies is also progressing well.

The mechanical workshop has continued to fabricate components for the NIRI duplication and more orders have been placed for fabrication of some of the large structures. The lead times for the delivery of the large forgings are pushing the assembly and integration of the vacuum jacket and OIWFS out too far. Careful consideration of the details of these tasks will allow us to regain some of this time.

The NIRI control system drawings obtained from IfA were used to compile a parts list for procurement.

After gaining an understanding of the operation of the NIRI Components Controller software, it is being modified to reflect the different NIFS mechanisms. Further work based on the preliminary version of the NIRI CC may be inefficient, and if an up to date version does not become available soon, it may be better to switch attention to understanding the Instrument Sequencer. The detector controller software design has not progressed.

There has been little progress on the detector system design as Mark Downing was involved in the commissioning of the RSAA/AAO Wide Field Imager. This instrument will no longer require his involvement and he can now spend most of his time on NIFS.

2.3 Schedule

Assuming that the RSC detector contract will be executed on 21 September, science detector delivery will take place 558 days after this date, or on 2 April 2002. Our plan includes three months characterization at UH, time for transport to RSAA and another six weeks verification before integration in NIFS at the start of the fifth cooldown cycle. This pushes the date for transportation of NIFS to Hawaii out to December 2002.

Even though a design could be completed by the proposed December 2000 CDR date, some aspects would not receive the attention they require and a number of issues raised at the CoDR would not yet be resolved. As the NIFS delivery date is primarily driven by the science detector availability and secondarily by the cryostat and OIWFS completion, which had a late start, a delay in CDR date till late February 2001 will not impact on project completion. Such a delay will allow us to experiment with detector temperature control, resolve issues relating to the manufacture of the IFU, possibly having test pieces manufactured, and provide a more than cursory analysis of stray light and mechanical stability.

3 Technical Progress

3.1 Completed Tasks

The following tasks were completed during the reporting period:

Task WBS	hrs	Finish Date	Title	Deliverables
2.6.6	29.5	1 Sep 00	Detector Purchase¹	nil

Notes

RSAA involvement in detector purchase can be considered closed.

3.2 Tasks in Progress

2.1.1 NIFS Critical Design - Project Management

A continuing task. JvH: 49 hrs. Management and planning of software effort: PJY 28 hrs.

2.1.6 PS Miscellaneous

A continuing task to record various activities. PJM: 35 hrs.

2.2.1 Revise OCDD

No progress this period.

2.2.3 Science Case

No progress this period.

2.3.1 Requirements Analysis

No progress this period.

2.4.1 Revise Ante Camera Optical Design (completed)

Incorrectly reported in last month’s report as 191 hrs, should be 240 hrs, add 49 hrs.

2.4.12 Revise Nominal Specifications

Started in conjunction with next task, JH: 7 hrs.

2.4.13 Determine Temperature Compensated Specifications

Final optics design. JH: 82 hrs

2.4.14 Refine Ghost Analysis

No progress this period.

2.5.2.2 Determine General Mechanical Configuration

A first pass mechanical design for all spectrograph assemblies. PC: 75 hrs.

2.5.2.3 Disperser Turret Design

Continued: PC 32 hrs, LP 80 hrs.

2.5.2.4 Develop IFU

Investigate manufacturing methods. PC: 8hrs.

2.5.2.10 Design Entrance Turret

Assembly design for entrance turret. PC: 7 hrs

2.5.2.13 Design Baffle System

PC: 28 hrs.

2.5.2.12 Detector Mount Design

No progress this period.

2.7.4 Component Controller Software

MJ: 141 hrs.

4.1.1 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Project Management

A continuing task. JvH: 18 hrs.

4.2.1 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Design and Supervision

A continuing task. GJ: 168 hrs, CV: 41 hrs supervision and procurement.

4.2.2 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Parts Fabrication

Workshop effort 391 hrs this period. (This amount includes a correction. In the previous report, workshop effort was incorrectly reported as 127 hrs, which was work only started in August. The actual August work was 518 hrs)

4.3.1 Control system – Design and Supervision

Prepare purchasing list and request quotes. MID: 77 hrs.

5.8.7.1 Test Cryostat Temperature Control – Design Control system

No progress this period.

3.3 Documents Issued

No documents were issued during the reporting period:

Document ID	Rev	Date	Title

4 Schedule Progress

4.1 Updated Schedule

The current schedule is the schedule included in the “NIFS Revised Costing”. A schedule revised for the expected delivery dates of the detectors and the late start on cryostat and OIWFS duplication has been developed. It also takes into account the proposed delayed CDR. This revised schedule, in the form of a MS Project 2000 file, will follow soon after submission of this monthly report.

4.2 Project Statistics

17 people have contributed to the NIFS project during this period. They worked a total of 1410 hours, bringing the total for the project to 2683 hrs, which represents approximately 8.8% of the total number of hours in the current project plan.

4.3 Milestones

Listed below are the milestones defined in the NIFS contract. No milestones were due during the reporting period.

Event	Date	Status
(1)Contract fully signed	August 2000	pending
(2) Placement of order for vacuum jacket forging	August 2000	completed
(3) AURA approval of Final FPRD and OCDD	5 December 2000
(4) AURA approval of Detailed Design Documentation after CDR	January 2001
(5) Start of first Cryostat and OIWFS cooldown	14 May 2001
(6) Completion of Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication (As task is described in Conceptual Design Documentation)	4 October 2001
(7) Completion of Spectrograph Construction (As task is described in Conceptual Design Documentation)	22 March 2002
(8) Authorization to ship instrument given by AURA	19 July 2002
(9) Completion of all Work and Final Acceptance given by AURA	1 October 2002

5 Financial Progress

The exchange rate used is the rate applicable to a particular transaction, or the rate on the last day of the reporting period. On 1 September 2000 the rate was 0.575.

5.1 Income

No income was gained during the reporting period.

5.2 Outgoings

5.2.1 Labour

The NIFS account was charged for 1375 hrs of work from 31 July to 1 September 2000. This is the total number of hours (1410) minus the hours for the Project Scientist (35). The total charge is US$48,125 (A$83,696)

5.2.2 Other Costs

5.2.2.1 Expenditure

The following expenditure was incurred during the reporting period.

2.1.1 Project Management

Various stationery US$ 58 A$ 100

4.2.2 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Fabrication – Aluminium, part of orders

O’Brien Aluminium US$ 793 A$ 1,380

4.2.2.4 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Fabrication - Window Cover Construction

ITW Finishing Technologies US$ 594 A$ 1,011

4.6 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Consumables

Freight, sockets, bolts US$ 162 A$ 282

-------------- ------------

total US$ 1,607 A$ 2,773

5.2.2.2 Commitments

The ANU accounting system also includes ‘commitments’, where a purchase order has been raised, but goods or services have not yet been delivered, invoiced and paid. New commitments are listed here, but not included in the financial status report.

4.2.3 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Fabrication – Aluminium for all parts

O’Brien Aluminium US$ 3,709 A$ 6,450

5.3 Financial Status

Date	Description	Income (US$)	Income (A$)	Outgoings (US$)	Outgoings (A$)
29 Jul 00	Labour			37,940	64,524
01 Sep 00	Labour			48,125	83,696
01 Sep 00	Other Costs			1,607	2,773
29 Jul 00	Balance			87,672	150,993

6 Problem Areas

6.1 Technical Problems

The problems with the optical design of the spectrograph camera have been resolved.

The design of the grating mechanism and flip mirror has progressed satisfactorily since it was accepted that the previously required repeatability could not be achieved and specifications were revised.

6.2 Scheduling Problems

The purchase and delivery of items on the critical path of the project may be delayed because of RSAA hesitation to commit to large external purchases without the backing of a contract (refer to next paragraph)

6.3 Financial Problems

To the date of writing this report, RSAA has spent approximately US$110k on NIFS labour and has ordered US$70k in materials without the backing of a contract. Not surprisingly, processing the order for another large component, the OIWFS Optable (US$26k), has been suspended. RSAA will continue to provide labour for the project, but intends to limit its exposure to large external commitments.

7 Action Items

The following Action Items are outstanding.

No.	Action	Who	Status	Due Date
1	ICD16 Parameter Definition Format. Clarification	RAN
2	Revise NIFS schedule to reflect FPA delivery lead time	JvH
3	Generate ordered list of "As Built" NIRI drawings	JvH
4	Negotiate delivery schedule for As Built NIRI drawings with IfA	RAN
5	Determine status of NIRI manuals	RAN
6	Determine specifications and manufacturer of NIRI CaF2 window	RAN	Closed Information provided
7	Make tar archive of operational NIRI software	RAN	In progress
8	Determine status of IfA OIWFS fabrication	RAN
9	Send 7 cryo stepper motors to ANU	RAN
10	A flip-in acquisition mirror will be incorporated into the design	JvH	Closed. Documentation to be changed as required