4MOST Milestone: First Major Shipment to Chile

by Henri Boffin on 2024-02-29

On Thursday, February 29, the Cable Wrap - the largest physical subsystem of 4MOST - commenced its journey from AIP's facilities to ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile.

"The decision to ship the Cable Wrap early marks a crucial step forward for the project. Rigorously tested by us and by ESO, and meeting all requirements, the subsystem will be installed on the VISTA telescope ahead of the next major 4MOST shipments to Paranal," says 4MOST project manager Joar Brynnel. "This proactive approach not only optimises space in the AIP integration hall but also accelerates the overall timeline, ensuring timely integration and deployment."

Two sea containers, meticulously packed and components wrapped to shield against dust and humidity, will be handed over to shipping partner DSV. Equipped with a crane for efficient loading, a large truck will transport the containers to the harbour of Hamburg, where they will be embarked onto a large ship bound for Chile. The voyage, spanning five weeks via the Panama Canal, will then continue on trucks via the Pan-American highway and culminate in the delivery of the Cable Wrap to Paranal Observatory.

Read more in the AIP press release and watch a video of the final test phase and first shipment at https://youtu.be/IN__wXps5Rg.