Testbed Observatory
Validate real-world automation, weather response, optical trains, calibration, storage and staff procedure before public scaling.
- SQA130 testbed rig
- SCA310 detail testbed rig
- Atlas / NINA / data-flow validation
Crux Tools / Observatory Instruments
Rig roadmap and phase plan.
Crux Karoo Observatory is being developed as a phased southern-sky data and guest-experience platform. Each telescope system has a clear role: testbed validation, public data production, rental imaging, deep detail work, education, media, or future specialist expansion.
Phase breakdown
From testbed to destination.
The telescope plan grows with the site. The early phases prove the operational spine and data engine; later phases turn the proven system into public access, media and premium guest astronomy.
Operations Core
Turn Crux into a working data-production observatory with a repeatable public southern-sky dataset engine.
- Crux Atlas Array
- SQA130 production modes
- Retained SCA310 validation path
Public Platform
Expand into rental rigs, education, media, event capture, guided imaging and broader telescope access.
- SQA106 rental family
- SQA130 precision and grand frame
- SCA310 galaxy/detail modes
- Guest Smartscope Array
Guest Destination
Use the proven observatory system as the heart of the retreat, Sky Theatre, room workstations and premium astronomy experiences.
- Guided guest imaging
- Premium data handovers
- Sky Theatre content
- Workshops and residencies
03 / Rig Lanes
Planning lanes, not bookings.
Rig lanes show planned suitability and phase intent. They do not expose live operations, public booking status, confirmed queue allocation, or telescope availability.
All Phases filter: Show internal, planned and future roadmap lanes together. These are planning signals, not live availability.
Planned lane does not mean confirmed telescope time. Availability, weather and capture acceptance remain review-gated.
Public dataset lane
Crux Atlas Array
SQA130 / IMX571
Planning candidate
Candidate lane
P1
Queue: Medium
Widefield, nebula, mosaic and public dataset production.
Widefield lane
Crux Survey Rigs
SQA106 / IMX571
Best fit for large targets
Candidate lane
P1 / P2
Queue: Low
Large nebulae, target discovery, widefield references and guided public routes.
Detail lane
Galaxy / Core Rigs
SCA310 / IMX571 or IMX585
Manual review
Manual review lane
P1 / P2
Queue: Medium
Galaxies, compact nebulae, planetary nebulae and higher-detail crops.
Development lane
Testbed Observatory
SQA130 + SCA310
Not a public booking lane
Development lane
P0
Queue: Not public
Operations testing, calibration, Atlas/NINA validation and early project readiness.
Guest support lane
Smartscope / Guided Layer
Seestar + SQA106 routes
Future public experience
Guided access lane
P2 / P3
Queue: Future
Education, beginner imaging, guided sessions and guest-facing interpretation.
Destination layer
Stay-linked Astronomy
Sky Theatre + room workflows
Future destination context
Interpretation lane
P3
Queue: Future
Premium data handovers, retreat programming, theatre content and guest workstation routing.
Rig Roadmap
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Planning Calendar
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Rig Chooser
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Capture Package Builder
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Crux Review
Please note that planned capability, commissioned capability and confirmed availability are three different states. This tool recommends a planning path, not a telescope reservation.
Operational assessment
What each phase proves.
Crux is not buying isolated telescopes. It is building a disciplined capture, processing and delivery system around each rig family. Open a phase to inspect the validation goal without turning the page into a long wall of rig notes.
Phase 0
Prototype Cell / First Light Testbed
Internal proving ground for optics, weather response, Atlas/NINA handoff, calibration, storage and staff procedure.
One SQA130-class rig and one SCA310-class rig create two demanding validation lanes: premium refractor workflow and deep-detail obstructed-optic workflow.
Workflow validation
Tests automated capture, focusing, rotator behaviour, flats, calibration, data movement and dataset packaging.
Detail validation
Tests guiding precision, tighter sampling, obstruction-aware timing, compact targets and higher operational discipline.
Phase 1
Crux Atlas Array / Public Data Observatory
First data-production layer: prove capture, verification, processing, storage, sale and delivery of southern-sky datasets.
The first major Crux data system should prove that the site can operate repeatably and package premium data products without needing the later destination layer first.
Primary data engine
Seven parallel SQA130 collectors increase signal depth while retaining a single-rig field-of-view logic.
Premium production
Supports individual target programmes, medium-wide imaging, calibrated releases and future large-frame validation.
Selective detail work
Continues detail testing and early high-resolution target programmes once the rig is validated.
Data accountability
Confirms capture manifests, frame scoring, calibration, archive status, delivery packs and customer communication.
Phase 2
Observatory Campus / Rental and Media Platform
Expands the working observatory into guided access, rental paths, media, education and broader public-facing use.
Phase 2 should not invent a new observatory promise. It should turn the proven technical system into a controlled public platform.
Widefield rental
Flexible public-facing platform for broad southern targets, guided sessions and colour/mono product routes.
Precision and grand frame
Balanced premium imaging with IMX571 mono and possible large-frame IMX461 products after validation.
Galaxy and core detail
Detail specialist for small galaxies, planetary nebulae and compact structures that benefit from tighter sampling.
Guest smartscope layer
Accessible robotic imaging for visitors, school groups, beginner field nights and public demonstrations.
Phase 3
Premium Guest Astronomy
Destination layer built around already-proven observatory systems, Sky Theatre interpretation and premium handovers.
By Phase 3, the telescope systems should already be proven. The guest experience then presents a working observatory, not a promise.
Guest-facing sessions
Seestar, SQA106 and selected SQA130 workflows support beginner-to-intermediate guided astronomy experiences.
High-end handovers
Atlas Array, Grand Frame and Galaxy 310 systems support calibrated datasets, processed products and print-scale results.
Media presentation
Night reports, all-sky context, target stories and Atlas summaries become part of the guest-facing observatory narrative.
Education and workshops
The proven rig family supports private astrophotography workshops, corporate retreats and educational residencies.
Graphic system
Every rig gets a technical glyph.
The website should denote each rig family with a simple SVG graphic. These are not decorative icons; they are small instrument diagrams that help visitors understand role, scale and behaviour at a glance.
The glyphs use a dedicated telescope language: aperture rings, sensor frames, optical axes, array nodes and obstruction markers. This keeps them visually separate from calendar, moon, weather and status glyphs elsewhere in the toolchain.
RULE / 01
Use copper for identity and optical emphasis, not for general status.
RULE / 02
Show array rigs as multiple synchronized collectors, while keeping FOV language single-instrument.
RULE / 03
Show the SCA310 with a central obstruction marker so exposure planning remains honest.
RULE / 04
Use sensor rectangles to indicate IMX585, IMX571 and IMX461 configuration families.
RULE / 05
Keep all glyphs line-based, quiet, scalable and suitable for future engraving or dashboard use.
RULE / 06
Never use the same glyph family for observatory status, calendar scoring or weather signals.
Rig family assessment
Planned telescope systems.
These cards describe the intended role of each rig family. Actual public availability depends on commissioning, field testing and final data-quality validation.
Rig / SQA106
SQA106 Widefield Family
Phase 2
Rental / public
Rotator
Flexible premium widefield platform for large southern fields, visitor imaging paths and future Dragonfly-style depth work.
Rig / SQA130
SQA130 Precision Family
Phase 0–2
Production
Rotator
Balanced premium imaging workhorse for medium-wide targets, production datasets and the core Atlas Array architecture.
Rig / SCA310
SCA310 Detail Family
Phase 0–2
Detail specialist
Obstructed
Longer-focal-length detail platform for galaxies, planetary nebulae and compact structures, with obstruction-aware exposure planning.
Array / Atlas
Crux Atlas Array
Phase 1
7× parallel
Data engine
Seven matched SQA130-class collectors working as the first flagship public data engine for repeatable southern-sky releases.
Array / Dragonfly
SQA106 Dragonfly Array
Future Phase 2
7× widefield
Specialist
Future specialist widefield system for deep field work, large southern mosaics and parallel capture programmes.
Guest / Seestar
Guest Smartscope Array
Phase 2–3
Outreach
7× accessible
Accessible robotic imaging path for visitors, school groups, beginner sessions and simple public demonstrations.
Summary matrix
Rig roles at a glance.
The matrix keeps the public story honest: some systems are testbed, some are production, some are future expansion candidates, and only commissioned systems become bookable.
| Rig family | Phase introduced | Main role | Best use | Website status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQA130 Testbed | Phase 0 | Workflow validation | Medium-wide nebulae, automation and calibration testing | Planned / internal |
| SCA310 Testbed | Phase 0 | Detail validation | Galaxies, compact nebulae, longer-focal-length workflow | Planned / internal |
| Crux Atlas Array | Phase 1 | Main data engine | Deep southern datasets, public releases, data products | Planned flagship |
| SQA106 Widefield | Phase 2 | Rental widefield | Large nebulae, star fields, guided widefield capture | Future public rig |
| SQA130 Precision | Phase 1–2 | Balanced premium imaging | Medium-wide targets, galaxies, clusters, public data | Planned production |
| SCA310 Galaxy / Core | Phase 0–2 | High-resolution detail | Galaxies, planetary nebulae, compact targets | Commissioning-dependent |
| Guest Smartscope Array | Phase 2–3 | Outreach and education | Bright targets, school sessions, beginner imaging | Future public rig |
| SQA106 Dragonfly Array | Future Phase 2+ | Specialist widefield depth | Large southern mosaics and faint wide structures | Expansion candidate |
Choosing a rig
Match the instrument to the target.
The telescope choice should follow the target, field size, desired result and dataset tier. This roadmap gives context; the Rig Chooser and planning tools handle practical fit.
Large southern scenes
Choose SQA106, SQA130, Atlas Array or Dragonfly when the target needs context, star field structure or a broad nebula frame.
Small structures
Choose SCA310, SQA106 + IMX585 or SQA130 + IMX571 for galaxies, compact nebulae or tighter framing.
Signal depth
Choose Atlas Array, Dragonfly or Guest Smartscope Array when the priority is parallel collection or a public array experience.
Simple imaging
Choose Seestar, guided SQA106 colour, or field kits when the experience matters more than technical configuration.
Commissioning transparency
A rig becomes bookable only after validation.
Planned hardware should not be presented as operational until it has passed commissioning. This protects the guest experience, the data product and the Crux brand.
01
Optical train, spacing, tilt, field and backfocus validation.
02
Autofocus, guiding, rotator, meridian and safety-interruption testing.
03
Flats, darks, bias/dark-flats, calibration frames and repeatable dataset structure.
04
Atlas / NINA / Rig Agent integration and job-state reporting.
05
Data transfer, archive, Parow handoff and delivery package verification.
06
Staff SOP sign-off, customer wording and website status update.
Crux does not sell a telescope night as a promise of hardware. It sells a disciplined southern-sky data workflow.