MSV-2035 Astronomy Document - Inside Design - FINAL - FINAL

Astronomy & Astrophysics 113 second part of this Section presents the status of different observatories in the country and their proposed plans for future instruments and upgrades. As the Indian astronomy community is embarking on different mega science projects, it is important that the existing observatories and instruments are maintained and upgraded efficiently to cater to the needs of the community at any given time. It is also important that efficient use is made of the facilities. A few suggestions that will enable efficient use of the facilities as well as provide ample resources for the growth of the community are provided at the end of this section. In the last three decades, a significant fraction of research in Astronomy & Astrophysics has become a large global collaborative endeavor. This is because state-of-the-art observing facilities are expensive and technologically complex, and may only be built by multiple nations. Their efficient operation and usage require the joint effort of hundreds or thousands of trained researchers having different levels of expertise. Being a part of the large international collaborations of the upcoming observing facilities is imperative to be at the forefront of A&A research for the astronomy community of any country. Section 5 of this document summarises the upcomingmega projects (like TMT, SKA, LIGO-India etc.) in which the Indian community is a partner, and other mega science projects (like LSST, CTA and MSE) where India has some contributions. Highlighting the need for our own facilities to bridge the gap between the existing and proposed large facilities, the document lists various national large projects (NLOT and NLST) proposed by the Indian astronomers. The document also summarises the expected timeline for these projects and prioritizes themas per the plans of the community. Continued commitment towards the mega projects (such as TMT, SKA and LIGO) in which India is already participating has been recommended with suggested mechanisms to maximize scientific, technical and other types of value-returns. In addition, prioritymay be given to indigenous facilities that use technologies learnt fromparticipating in the international mega projects. Priority should also be given to indigenous facilities that will place Indian astronomy at par with the international community and/or open new windows that currently do not exist. Emphasis is to be placed on development of prototype instruments with new technologies that can eventually lead to development of instruments for the international mega facilities. There needs to be a focus on building an integrated data archive and distribution facility for all the astronomy resources in the country. Based on these considerations and the present need of the Indian astronomy community, a prioritized list of projects is provided. Astronomy being a multi- messenger andmulti-wavelength science, it is important to have facilities for broad spectrumobservations. It is noted that most mega projects will require initial seed money for a pre-project phase for carrying out several activities such as (a) exploration and establishment of the nature of Indian contribution in the case of international projects, (b) laying down the specifications and design development, (c) prototype development and technology capacity building, and (d) development of project partnerships, work share agreements, etc. The quantum of the initial fundingwould vary fromproject-to-project and their specific requirements. For the success of any project, it is important to have a well-defined project management structure that ensures effective management and execution of the project through well-defined rules and guidelines. The document (Section 6) also provides some general thoughts that may lead to effective management and success of mega projects. One of the key recommendations is to have a Mega Projects Consortium Committee that will enable sharing of scientific and technical resources between different projects. This committee can also enable formation of panels of technical MEGA SCIENCE VISION-2035