It is graduation season, and the new VGOS 12-m antenna at KPGO is nearly ready to transition to operations!

The freshman antenna arrived in September 2015, understandably anxious about that first semester. With a solid foundation and pedestal to stand on, she spread an intricate web of beams and struts, and topped her top with a sea of reflecting panels. Under the long-shadow of the 20-meter, the next generation antenna continued to blossom and grow.

The VGOS signal chain installed in January 2016 opened her eyes to new sights and possibilities. She quickly learned to collaborate with her older siblings across the ocean at Westford and GGAO. The three antennas can now routinely observe in broadband continuously for 24 hours!

With the senior 20-meter antenna about to have open heart surgery on its main bearing, it was important to pass the geodetic knowledge to the new generation as quickly as possible. A series of observing sessions provided the link at the millimeter-level between the two KPGO antennas. The KPGO handoff was successful and the 20-meter antenna is now getting much needed repairs.

The new antenna is now ready to reach out to the rest of the world and has started learning new languages. A series of compatibility test were performed with several European stations that are also anxious to join the VGOS network.

With just a few more tweaks and tests, our young antenna is ready to graduate and join the greater VLBI workforce. We expect to hold an Operational Readiness Review within the next two months. With the intensive commissioning activities coming to an end, this will be the final entry to this blog. Please continue to visit the SGP website for news and updates. Its been fun sharing our progress with you.

-- Larry Hilliard, Pedro Elosegui, Stephen Merkowitz, and the rest of the SGP team.