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Departamento deFsica eAstronomia, Faculdade Cincias, Universidade do Porto,Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762PortugalReceived2013 Aug 29, accepted 2013 Nov1Published online 2014 Jan 15Keywords instrumentation: spectrographs –plantary systems –techniques: spectroscopicThe acronym ESPRESSO stems for Echelle SPectrograph for RockyExoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations;this instrument will be the next VLThigh resolution spectrograph. The spectrograph will be installed at the Combined-CoudeL´ aboratory of the VLTand linked to the four 8.2mUnit Telescopes (UT) through four optical Coudet´ rains.ESPRESSO will combine efficiencyand extreme spectroscopic precision. ESPRESSO is foreseen to achieve again oftwomagnitudes with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and to improve the instrumental radial-velocity precision to reachthe 10 cms

DREAMS (Dust Characterisation, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface) is a payload accommodated on the Schiaparelli Entry and Descent Module (EDM) of ExoMars 2016, the ESA - Roscosmos mission to Mars successfully launched on 14 March 2016. The DREAMS data will be archived and distributed to the scientific community through the ESA's Planetary Science Archive (PSA). All data shall be compliant with NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS4) standards for formatting and labelling files. This paper summarizes the format and content of the DREAMS data products and associated metadata. The pipeline to convert the raw telemetries to the final products for the archive is sketched as well.

ESPRESSO is an ultra-stable fiber-fed spectrograph designed to combine incoherently the light coming from up to 4 Unit Telescopes of the ESO VLT. From the Nasmyth focus of each telescope the light, through an optical path, is fed by the Coude Train subsystems to the Front End Unit placed in the Combined Coude Laboratory. The Front End is composed by one arm for each telescope and its task is to convey the incoming light, after a calibration process, into the spectrograph fibers. To perform these operations a large number of functions are foreseen, like motorized stages, lamps, digital and analog sensors that, coupled with dedicated Technical CCDs (two per arms), allow to stabilize the incoming beam up to the level needed to exploit the ESPRESSO scientific requirements. The Instrument Control Electronics goal is to properly control all the functions in the Combined Coude Laboratory and the spectrograph itself. It is fully based on a distributed PLC architecture, abandoning in this way the VME-based technology previously adopted for the ESO VLT instruments. In this paper we will describe the ESPRESSO Instrument Control Electronics architecture, focusing on the distributed layout and its interfaces with the other ESPRESSO subsystems.

A Celestron C14 telescope equipped with a robotic Paramount ME equatorial mount is being used for public outreach at the Basovizza site of the INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Trieste. Although the telescope could be fully remotely controlled, the control of the instrumentations and the movement of the main motor of the dome requires the physical presence of an operator. To overcome this limitation the existing control system has been upgraded using a Beckhoff PLC to allow the remote control of the whole instrumentation, including the management of the newly installed weather sensor and the access to the telescope area. Exploiting the decentralization features typical of a PLC based solution, the PLC modules are placed in two different racks, according to the function to be controlled. A web interface is used for the communication between the user and the instrumentation. The architecture of this control system will be presented in detail in this paper.

Recent improvements in industrial vision technology and products together with the increasing need for high performance, cost efficient technical detectors for astronomical instrumentation have led ESO with the contribution of INAF to evaluate this trend and elaborate ad-hoc solutions which are interoperable and compatible with the evolution of VLT standards. The ESPRESSO spectrograph shall be the first instrument deploying this technology. ESO's Technical CCD (hereafter TCCD) requirements are extensive and demanding. A lightweight, low maintenance, rugged and high performance TCCD camera product or family of products is required which can operate in the extreme environmental conditions present at ESO's observatories with minimum maintenance and minimal downtime. In addition the camera solution needs to be interchangeable between different technical roles e.g. slit viewing, pupil and field stabilization, with excellent performance characteristics under a wide range of observing conditions together with ease of use for the end user. Interoperability is enhanced by conformance to recognized electrical, mechanical and software standards. Technical requirements and evaluation criteria for the TCCD solution are discussed in more detail. A software architecture has been adopted which facilitates easy integration with TCCD's from different vendors. The communication with the devices is implemented by means of dedicated adapters allowing usage of the same core framework (business logic). The preference has been given to cameras with an Ethernet interface, using standard TCP/IP based communication. While the preferred protocol is the industrial standard GigE Vision, not all vendors supply cameras with this interface, hence proprietary socket-based protocols are also acceptable with the provision of a validated Linux compliant API. A fundamental requirement of the TCCD software is that it shall allow for a seamless integration with the existing VLT software framework. ESPRESSO is a fiber-fed, cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph that will be located in the Combined-Coude Laboratory of the VLT in the Paranal Observatory in Chile. It will be able to operate either using the light of any of the UT's or using the incoherently combined light of up to four UT's. The stabilization of the incoming beam is achieved by dedicated piezo systems controlled via active loops closed on 4 + 4 dedicated TCCD's for the stabilization of the pupil image and of the field with a frequency goal of 3 Hz on a 2 nd to 3 rd magnitude star. An additional 9th TCCD system shall be used as an exposure-meter. In this paper we will present the technical CCD solution for future VLT instruments.

This paper describes the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) of the Dust characterization, Risk assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface (DREAMS) scientific instrument, an autonomous surface payload package to be accommodated on the Entry, Descendent and landing Module (EDM) of the ExoMars 2016 European Space Agency (ESA) mission. DREAMS will perform several kinds of measurements, such as the solar irradiance with different optical detectors in the UVA band (315-400nm), NIR band (700-1100nm) and in "total luminosity" (200 –1100 nm). It will also measure environmental parameters such as the intensity of the electric field, temperature, pressure, humidity, speed and direction of the wind. The EGSE is built to control the instrument and manage the data acquisition before the integration of DREAMS within the Entry, Descendent and landing Module (EDM) and then to retrieve data from the EDM Central Checkout System (CCS), after the integration. Finally it will support also the data management during mission operations. The EGSE is based on commercial off-the-shelf components and runs custom software. It provides power supply and simulates the spacecraft, allowing the exchange of commands and telemetry according to the protocol defined by the spacecraft prime contractor. This paper describes the architecture of the system, as well as its functionalities to test the DREAMS instrument during all development activities before the ExoMars 2016 launch.

ESPRESSO is the next European exoplanets hunter. It will combine the efficiency of modern echelle spectrograph with extreme radial-velocity precision. It will be installed at Paranal's VLT in order to achieve two magnitudes gain with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and the instrumental radial-velocity precision will be improved to reach 10 cm/s level. We have constituted a Consortium of astronomical research institutes to fund, design and build ESPRESSO on behalf of and in collaboration with ESO, the European Southern Observatory. The project has passed the final design review in May 2013. The spectrograph will be installed at the Combined Coude Laboratory of the VLT, it will be linked to the four 8.2 meters Unit Telescopes through four optical "Coude trains" and will be operated either with a single telescope or with up to four UTs, enabling an additional 1.5 magnitude gain. Thanks to its characteristics and ability of combining incoherently the light of 4 large telescopes, ESPRESSO will offer new possibilities in many fields of astronomy. Our main scientific objectives are, however, the search and characterization of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of quiet, near-by G to M-dwarfs, and the analysis of the variability of fundamental physical constants. In this paper, we will present the scientific objectives, the capabilities of ESPRESSO, the technical solutions for the system and its subsystems, enlightening the main differences between ESPRESSO and its predecessors. The project aspects of this facility are also described, from the consortium and partnership structure to the planning phases and milestones.

ESPRESSO, the VLT rocky exoplanets hunter, will combine the efficiency of modern echelle spectrograph with extreme radial-velocity precision. It will be installed at Paranal on ESO's VLT in order to achieve a gain of two magnitudes with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and the instrumental radial-velocity precision will be improved to reach 10 cm/s level. We have constituted a Consortium of astronomical research institutes to fund, design and build ESPRESSO on behalf of and in collaboration with ESO, the European Southern Observatory. The project has passed the preliminary design review in November 2011. The spectrograph will be installed at the so-called "Combined Coude Laboratory" of the VLT, it will be linked to the four 8.2 meters Unit Telescopes (UT) through four optical "Coude trains" and will be operated either with a single telescope or with up to four UTs. In exchange of the major financial and human effort the building Consortium will be awarded with guaranteed observing time (GTO), which will be invested in a common scientific program. Thanks to its characteristics and the ability of combining incoherently the light of 4 large telescopes, ESPRESSO will offer new possibilities in many fields of astronomy. Our main scientific objectives are, however, the search and characterization of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of quiet, near-by G to M-dwarfs, and the analysis of the variability of fundamental physical constants. In this paper, we present the ambitious scientific objectives, the capabilities of ESPRESSO, the technical solutions for the system and its subsystems, enlightening the main differences between ESPRESSO and its predecessors. The project aspects of this facility are also described, from the consortium and partnership structure to the planning phases and milestones.

ESPRESSO is a fiber-fed cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph which can be operated with one or up to 4 UT (Unit Telescope) of ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). It will be located in the Combined-Coude Laboratory (CCL) of the VLT and it will be the first permanent instrument using a 16-m equivalent telescope. The ESPRESSO control software and electronics are in charge of the control of all instrument subsystems: the four Coude Trains (one for each UT), the front-end and the fiber-fed spectrograph itself contained within a vacuum vessel. The spectrograph is installed inside a series of thermal enclosures following an onion-shell principle with increasing temperature stability from outside to inside. The proposed electronics architecture will use the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) as a standard layer to communicate with PLCs (Programmable Logical Controller), replacing the old Instrument Local Control Units (LCUs) for ESO instruments based on VME technology. The instrument control software will be based on the VLT Control Software package and will use the IC0 Field Bus extension for the control of the instrument hardware. In this paper we present the ESPRESSO software architectural design proposed at the Preliminary Design Review as well as the control electronics architecture.

ESPRESSO is the next generation ground based European exoplanets hunter. It will combine the efficiency of modern echelle spectrograph with extreme radial-velocity and spectroscopic precision. It will be installed at Paranal's VLT in order to achieve two magnitudes gain with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and the instrumental radial-velocity precision will be improved to reach 10 cm/s level. We have constituted a Consortium of astronomical research institutes to fund, design and build ESPRESSO on behalf of and in collaboration with ESO, the European Southern Observatory. The spectrograph will be installed at the Combined Coude Laboratory (CCL) of the VLT, it will be linked to the four 8.2 meters Unit Telescopes through four optical "Coude trains" and will be operated either with a single telescope or with up to four UTs, enabling an additional 1.5 magnitude gain. Thanks to its characteristics and ability of combining incoherently the light of 4 large telescopes, ESPRESSO will offer new possibilities in many fields of astronomy. Our main scientific objectives are, however, the search and characterization of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of quiet, near-by G to M-dwarfs, and the analysis of the variability of fundamental physical constants. The project is, for most of its workpackages, in the procurement or development phases, and the CCL infrastructure is presently under adaptation work. In this paper, we present the scientific objectives, the capabilities of ESPRESSO, the technical solutions for the system and its subsystems. The project aspects of this facility are also described, from the consortium and partnership structure to the planning phases and milestones.