Timeline

[ WEAVE acronyms ]

Autumn 2024	Scientific results published from first-light observations
17 Jun 2024	Start of standdown for investigation of spectrograph misalignment
31 Oct 2023	Inauguration of WEAVE and start of regular LIFU science observations
Apr 2023	LIFU commissioning completed
12 Dec 2022	First light observations presented
Nov 2022	Science observations start
Aug 2022	First light on WEAVE. Commissioning starts
25 May 2022	WEAVE mounted on the prime focus
Jul 2021	WEAVE gets primed for on-sky commissioning
Mar 2021	Red detector arrives at the WHT
Dec 2020	Blue detector arrives at the WHT
Dec 2020	Positioner arrives at the WHT
Sep 2020	First light on the Prime Focus Corrector
Aug 2020	Spectrograph arrives at the WHT
Jun 2020	Prime Focus Corrector arrives at the WHT
Feb 2020	LIFU completed
Feb 2020	MOS fibres installation on Plate A
Mar 2019	Rotator arrives at the WHT
29-30 Jan 2019	WEAVE SPA meeting 8, Groningen
20-21 Sep 2018	WEAVE Galactic Archaeology team meeting, Naples
17-20 Sep 2018	WEAVE All-Hands Meeting 2018: Naples
2-3 Jul 2018	WEAVE SPA meeting 7, Cagliari
Jun 2018	Operational Rehearsal 3
22 Jun 2018	First light using the new WHT TCS
30-31 Jan 2018	WEAVE SPA meeting 6, IAC, Tenerife
11 Jan 2018	WEAVE WRS FDR, Bilbao
30 Nov 2017	WEAVE WCS FDR, Barcelona
27-1 Dec 2017	Week of WEAVE 2017: Galactic Archaeology team meeting, Barcelona
13-27 Nov 2017	WEAVE Engineering Stand-down 4
1st-3 Nov 2017	WEAVE All-Hands Meeting 2017: Groningen
26-28 Sep 2017	WEAVE AIT meeting, Schiphol
13-14 Sep 2017	WEAVE PRI system AIT workshop at RAL
12-13 Jul 2017	WEAVE-QSQ team meeting, Marseille
29-30 Jun 2017	WEAVE SPA team meeting 5, Cambridge
13-14 Jun 2017	WEAVE SCIP team meeting, Alicante
12-19 Jun 2017	WEAVE Engineering Stand-down 3
5 May 2017	Fibre Positioner dFDR
8 Mar 2017	Observatory Control System Final Design Review
19-21 Nov 2016	WEAVE All-Hands Meeting 2016, Cambridge
13 Dec 2016	IAC publishes tender to deliver the instrument rotator
28Nov 2016	Week of WEAVE meeting at the Lorentz Center, Leiden
10Nov 2016	SPA meeting 4
9Nov 2016	FDR for the WEAVE Archive System (WAS) at Groningen
4 Oct 2016	WEAVE Operational Rehearsal 1 held at Groningen
Aug 2016	IAC tender to deliver an assembled PFC is published
19-20 Jul 2016	The WHT flip ring was removed from the WHT and successfully reinstalled. This was carried out as a demonstration in preparation for the arrival of WEAVE. This was the first time in the history of the telescope that this ring had been separated from its support structure. Read more about this here.
Mar 2016	Final funding announcement for IAC (FEDER, 1.8M€)
Mar 2016	Fibre Retractors Complete
Mar 2016	PRI lens 4 ready for coating
Mar 2016	FTS delivered to IAC
Feb 2016	Positioner contract placed with Schunk
Jan 2016	PRI Trolleys delivered to WHT
20-21 Jan 2016	Jan Galactic Archaeology Science Team Meeting
Nov 2015	PFC Blank 2 delivered to Kiwistar
20-21 Oct 2015	Fibre System FDR
19-20 Oct 2015	Science and Survey Strategy Review
23rd-24 Sep 2015	PRI Focus Translation System FDR
Sep 2015	PFC Blank 5 delivered to Kiwistar
28 Aug 2015	PRI Trolleys FDR
8 Jun 2015	MultiLateral Agreement is now fully signed by all agencies
3 Jun 2015	Franche Comté provides funds for WEAVE fibres
27-29 May 2015	WEAVE Science Planning meeting at Leiden
15 May 2015	Engineering grade CCD231-C6 delivered by e2V
23 Apr 2015	PDR for Archive System
23 Apr 2015	FDR Core and Advanced Processing System
18 Mar 2015	FDR for Spectrograph System
Mar 2015	Conference: "Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next Decade: Big Questions, Large Surveys and Wide Fields"
22nd Jan 2015	FDR for Fibre Positioner System
Nov 2015	PFC Blank 2 delivered to Kiwistar
19 Dec 2014	PFC Blank 1 delivered to Kiwistar
2nd Dec 2014	PFC Blank 3 delivered to Kiwistar
3 Nov 2014	PFC Blank 4 delivered to Kiwistar
22nd Jul 2014	France's Conseil Scientifique Régional d'Île-de-France approves funds for WEAVE
28 Jun 2014	WEAVE well-represented at SPIE in Montreal
26 Jun 2014	Spain's Plan Nacional approves funds for WEAVE
13 Jun 2014	Kiwistar selected to polish PFC lenses
10 Jun 2014	PDR of the CPS/APS
30 Apr 2014	Blank for PFC lens 1 ordered
29 Apr 2014	Spain's FEDER committee approves funds for WEAVE
11 Apr 2014	Published tender for PFC lens polishing and coating
30 Mar 2014	Science CCDs ordered from e2v
25 Mar 2014	Full UK funding released by STFC
25 Mar 2014	WEAVE Board meeting in Rome. Attended by INAF Directors following the agreement to include Italy in the project.
20 Feb 2014	First MOS fibre prototype received
12 Feb 2014	Final design stage mid-term assessment
31 Jan 2014	Positioner PLC received
30 Jan 2014	Spectrograph optical final design review
24 Jan 2014	Prime focus corrector blank (B6) has been completed
19 Dec 2013	Successful Gaia launch
15 Nov 2013	Five of the six prime-focus corrector blanks are ordered
7 Nov 2013	STFC's Science Board recommends full funding for WEAVE
6 Sep 2013	STFC PPRP visiting panel at RAL Space
9 Jul 2013	Final prime-focus optical design FDR
3rd-4 Jul 2013	STFC PPRP meeting
30 Apr 2013	STFC PPRP funding proposal submitted
22-23 May 2013	WEAVE Engineering meeting to close preliminary design stage (Stage Two) and initiate final design stage (Stage three)
19-20 Mar 2013	Preliminary design completion
21 Feb 2013	NWO (Dutch Science Foundation) awards 960 k€ for WEAVE hardware to Prof.dr. S.C. Trager (WEAVE NL PI, Project Scientist, and Deputy PI) through its NWO-M programme. See this page for a short description of the project (in Dutch)
18 Feb 2013	Preliminary Design Review (PDR) documentation delivered to reviewers. PDR will be held in Madrid 19-20 Mar 2013
Oct 2012	Workshop: "La Palma and Calar Alto Observatories, Science in the Next Decade"
11 Oct 2012	NWO (Dutch Science Foundation) Board of Exact Sciences approves 2M€ for staff costs connected to WEAVE design and construction in the period 2012-2015
26-27 Jun 2012	WEAVE project stage II Mid-Term Assessment meeting in Liverpool. Project progressing as desired
17-18 Apr 2012	WEAVE Engineering meeting in Amsterdam. Conceptual designs discussed and moved towards preliminary designs
13 Feb 2012	ING science strategy 2013-2022 released
2nd Jan 2012	Start of WEAVE project stage II, in which preliminary designs are developed
2012	Funds received from Île-de-France for prototyping MOS fibres
19 Dec 2011	End of WEAVE project stage I. Final science cases delivered
3 Oct 2011	Start of WEAVE project stage I, in which the user requirements will be captured. Final science cases and a concept-of-operations document will be delivered by 16 Dec
22-23 Sep 2011	WEAVE kick-off meeting in Amsterdam. Engineering session on Thursday 22nd Sep. Science session on Friday 23rd Sep
13 Jul 2011	STFC's PPAN (Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics) science committee states that WEAVE is one of the highest priorities for UK investment in new grou-based astronomical instrumentation, and recommends that STFC provides support through the design phase
14 Apr 2011	Presentation about WEAVE made to STFC's PPAN (Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics) science committee by Gavin Dalton (RAL)
31 Jan 2011	'Statement of interest' submitted to STFC. The partners are STFC, the University of Oxford, LJMU, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, ASTRON, Observatoire de Paris, Lund University and ING
11 Jan 2011	Piercarlo Bonifacio and team join the WEAVE consortium following the closure of the GYES project
30 Nov 2010	Conceptual designs of the new prime-focus corrector for the WHT, and of the spectrograph components, were presented at the WEAVE engineering meeting, Heathrow
14 Oct 2010	Proposed WHT MOS instrument named as WEAVE (WHT Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer)
1 Oct 2010	Letter of intent submitted to ESO for the construction of a MOS on the WHT
26 Apr 2010	"WHT MOS Science Group meeting", London
Mar 2010	Workshop: "Science with the William Herschel Telescope 2010-2020"
Sep 2008	Report by the European Telescope Strategic Review Committee of ASTRONET on "Europe's 2-4m Telescopes Over the Decade to 2020"