Starting from April 1998 I have been on a number of missions at the VLT Observatory in Paranal , as part of the final integration and commissioning of the VLT telescope. In particular I have taken part to preparation for the "First Light" for Unit Telescope One, on the 25th of May 1998
After having worked for 4 years to the development of the Control Software for the VLT, having finally the opportunity of running the code on the real telescope has been a great satisfaction.
I have also to say that I have been really impressed by the overall quality of the telescope mechanics and of the control system. The integration of all the components of such a big and complex machine took place without major problems and the control software was proven being stable and reliable, also thanks to the great effort spent in the NTT Upgrade Project.
The life at the Paranal Observatory is very different from the life at the headquarters in Europe, as well as from the life at the La Silla Observatory. Here the observatory is still a construction site and the base camp is just a small village of containers. It is not so bad as it could seem, but it is anyway an hard style of life: small rooms, hot days and cold nights, dryness, very few comforts...
Working together many hours per day (and night), in difficult environmental conditions, contributes to create a great atmosphere in the group and to generate a high sense of collaboration, despite the pressure and the tough schedule.
Last modified: Thu Dec 30 15:01:06 MET 1999