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 4 to 29 September 2000.

The period of uncertainty waiting for NSF approval of the NIFS contract still continues. RSAA continued design and fabrication work, but has not placed any further orders for equipment and materials. 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. RSAA and Gemini are exploring how the purchase of long leadtime and/or expensive items can be organised without RSAA assuming the financial risk associated.

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. Leigh Pfitzner, a designer from Auspace Ltd. Continues to work at RSAA. to overcome the skills shortage. Other avenues to fill these positions are being explored.

The three temporary (18 months) machinist positions in the workshop to fabricate parts for the NIRI duplication and later for the spectrograph have all been filled.

The advertisement for an electronics technical officer has brought a disappointing response. An employment agency has been engaged to find other suitable candidates. This is a continuing position vacated earlier in the year, which needs to be filled together with a temporary position to allow the fabrication of the NIFS control system.

2.2 Progress

Our review of the optical design of the spectrograph was completed. However, the sheet metal material procured for the fabrication of the field slicer is thinner than specified. Unless material of the correct thickness can be obtained, the optical design will have to be re-optimised for the smaller slicer size.

The assembly design of the grating mechanism took longer than expected and is now nearing completion. The first pass design of all other spectrograph assemblies has been progressed further and design of the system from pick-up mirror to slicer has been started.

The mechanical workshop has continued to fabricate components for the NIRI duplication. Modifications have been made to the design of the OIWFS optable to accommodate the changes necessary for NIFS and to the design of the cryocooler interfaces, as suggested by Jeff Douglass to improve cooling performance and reduce vibration.

The NIRI control system drawings obtained from IfA were used to compile a parts list for procurement and quotes have been obtained for the majority of components.

A recent version of the NIRI Components Controller software has been installed and is being modified to reflect the different NIFS mechanisms. The Detector controller IOC has been assembled and the detector controller software design has seen some progress.

The design of the detector mounting board has been started and the stability of the SDSU controller is being assessed.

2.3 Schedule

With the RSC detector contract having been executed on 12 October, science detector delivery is assumed to take place 558 days after this date, or on 23 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 end of December 2002.

It has been agreed to delay the CDR to 22 February 2001. The NIFS delivery date is being driven by the science detector delivery.

3 Technical Progress

3.1 Completed Tasks

No tasks were formally completed during the reporting period.

Task WBS	hrs	Finish Date	Title	Deliverables

3.2 Tasks in Progress

2.1.1 NIFS Critical Design - Project Management

A continuing task. JvH: 46.5 hrs.

2.1.6 PS Miscellaneous

A continuing task to record various activities. PJM: 13 hrs.

2.2.1 Revise OCDD

No progress this period.

2.2.2 Revise FPRD

Started, JvH: 5 hrs.

2.2.3 Science Case

No progress this period.

2.3.1 Requirements Analysis

No progress this period.

2.4.6 Revise Error Budget and Specify Tolerances

JH: 7 hrs.

2.4.12 Revise Nominal Specifications

In conjunction with next task.

2.4.13 Determine Temperature Compensated Specifications

JH: 87 hrs

2.4.16 Specify and Negotiate IFU Machining

JH: 11 hrs.

2.5.2.3 Disperser Turret Design

Continued: LP 80 hrs.

2.5.2.4 Develop IFU

No progress this period.

2.5.2.6 Design Array and TriFold Mirror

PC: 15 hrs.

2.5.2.7 Detector Mount Design

Thermal design: PC: 47 hrs, MDD: 14 hrs.

2.5.2.10 Design Entrance Turret

Assembly design for entrance turret. PC: 38 hrs

2.5.2.12 Camera Mount Design

JH: 7 hrs.

2.5.2.13 Design Baffle System

No progress this period.

2.7.4 Component Controller Software

MJ: 94.75 hrs.

3.2.1 Detector Controller Software

PJY: 32.5 hrs.

4.1.1 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Project Management

A continuing task. JvH: 7 hrs.

4.2.1 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Design and Supervision

A continuing task. GJ: 108 hrs.

4.2.2 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Parts Fabrication

Workshop effort 528 hrs this period.

4.3.1 Control system – Design and Supervision

Prepare purchasing list and request quotes. MID: 31.75 hrs.

5.8.7.1 Test Cryostat Temperature Control – Design Control system

MDD: 22 hrs.

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 was submitted during September. Further changes will have to be made for the actual detector delivery dates and the effects of delayed orders for long leadtime items resulting from the NIFS contract uncertainty.

4.2 Project Statistics

17 people have contributed to the NIFS project during this period. They worked a total of 1276 hours, bringing the total for the project to 3959 hrs, which represents approximately 13.0% 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 29 September 2000 the rate was 0.535.

5.1 Income

No income was gained during the reporting period.

5.2 Outgoings

5.2.1 Labour

The NIFS account was charged for 1263 hrs of work from 4 to 29 September 2000. This is the total number of hours (1276) minus the hours for the Project Scientist (13). The total charge is US$44,205 (A$82,626)

5.2.2 Other Costs

5.2.2.1 Expenditure

The following expenditure was incurred during the reporting period.

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

O’Brien Aluminium US$ 7,718 A$14,426

4.6 Cryostat and OIWFS Duplication – Consumables

Sockets, bolts US$ 30 A$ 57

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

total US$ 7,748 A$14,483

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.

The order for a Lakeshore temperature controller and associated items was authorised on 30 August before purchasing for NIFS was stopped, but was not entered in the ANU financial system till 6 September.

4.3.2 Control system – General Fabrication – Science detector temperature controller

Lakeshore US$ 7,257 A$13,565

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 Sep 00	Labour			44,205	82,626
29 Sep 00	Other Costs			7,748	14,483
29 Sep 00	Balance			139,625	248,102

6 Problem Areas

6.1 Technical Problems

The only technical problem impeding project progress is the unavailability of some as-built information on NIRI and its control software.

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.

6.3 Financial Problems

RSAA will continue to provide labour for the NIFS project, but will make no further large external commitments. Ordering of the OIWFS optable machining, the OIWFS lenses, the SDSU controllers and parts for the control system are on hold. Possible measures to circumvent this problem are being explored.

7 Action Items

The following Action Items are outstanding.

No.	Action	Who	Status	Due Date
1	ICD16 Parameter Definition Format. Clarification	RAN	NIRI information being sought.
2	Revise NIFS schedule to reflect FPA delivery lead time	JvH	Closed Plan updated
3	Generate ordered list of "As Built" NIRI drawings	JvH	Closed List provided
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	Closed
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
11	Send examples of Commisioning and Verification Plans	RAN
12	Relay urgency of NIFS contract approval	RAN
13	Check impact of late OIWSF parts delivery by UH on NIFS schedule	JvH	Closed. Early May 2001 is latest delivery possible on the currently proposed plan.