An Agile, Global Observing Platform for Federating Heterogeneous and Multimodal Facilities at Constellation Scale

Modern sky surveys find huge numbers of objects that change over time, including exploding stars, variable stars, and asteroids that pass near Earth. The challenge is no longer finding these events. The challenge is getting the information needed to understand them. This project develops Skynet 2, a system that links optical and radio telescopes around the world into a shared network. Rather than build many new telescopes, the project connects existing facilities owned by universities, observatories, organizations, and individuals. The network helps scientists respond quickly to new events and gather the information needed to understand them. It will give more students access to real research using the same tools used by scientists. By creating a worldwide telescope network that can continue to grow over time, this project supports research, expands learning opportunities, and helps scientists understand the changing universe. This project completes development and deployment of Skynet 2, a constellation-scale platform for federating heterogeneous optical and radio observatories into a unified scientific and educational resource. Modern survey facilities are discovering transient and variable sources at rates that increasingly exceed the capacity of existing follow-up systems. Skynet 2 addresses this challenge by providing common infrastructure for observatory integration, scheduling, automation, resource allocation, and data management across independently operated facilities while preserving local ownership and autonomy. More than one hundred optical and radio telescopes spanning six continents and ten countries have already committed to participation. During the project period, these facilities will be integrated into a shared ecosystem supporting research, education, and rapid multi-wavelength follow-up of time-domain discoveries. The resulting platform will establish a scalable model for transforming underutilized astronomical resources into a globally distributed observatory constellation capable of supporting both scientific discovery and workforce development. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.