The filter exchange system of the LSSTCam at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

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The filter exchange system of the LSSTCam at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Authors

Alexandre Boucaud, Pierre Antilogus, Éric Aubourg, Antoine Bernard, Johan Bregeon, Patrick Breugnon, Julien Cordian, Hervé Croizet, Guillaume Daubard, Kevin Fanning, Fabrice Gallo, Anthony S. Johnson, Claire Juramy-Gilles, Pierre Karst, Mile Kusulja, Eric Lagorio, Travis Lange, Didier Laporte, Juan-Carlos Lazarte, Margaux Lopez, Aurélien Marini, Stuart Marshall, Dmitry Onoprienko, Hannah M. M. Pollek, Max Turri, Yousuke Utsumi, Francis Vezzu, Françoise Virieux, Téo Weicherding

Abstract

The Filter Exchange System of the LSSTCam at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a critical subsystem enabling the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by performing rapid, repeatable exchanges among five large-format filters within a highly constrained in-camera volume. Since the start of on-sky operations in April 2025, the FES has routinely performed up to 40 filter exchanges per night, completing each change in under 90 seconds with a positioning repeatability of 100 micrometers in the focal plane. Safety and reliability are ensured through a dedicated software architecture. Drawing on over a year of operational experience, we report on the in-situ performance of this sophisticated system within the observatory environment, characterize the key performance metrics, and discuss how specific design choices have influenced system behavior and reliability in practice.

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