The Department of Physics & Astrophysics at the University of North Dakota is seeking to purchase an observatory for a new multi-user facility on free-space optical communication (FSOC) that will handle beam delivery and -collection for terrestrial, airborne and LEO platforms. The observatory shall be fully enclosed and allow for year-round operation in the harsh climate of North Dakota. We require the system to meet the following specifications: - Main telescope aperture: 70 cm, fused silica optics - Numerical aperture: f/12, <30% of primary mirror diameter obscured by secondary mirror - Ritchey-Chretien optical design, fully shrouded - RMS spot-sizes of < 1 micron on-axis - Image scale <42 microns / arc-second - 2-axis piggyback adapter for second, 10 cm-diameter telescope - Nasmyth port with instrument payload >300 lbs - 5-inch-clear-aperture motorized focuser - Compatibility with optional adaptive optics - Software control for all components
