LSST Operations Plan

The LSST will be operated in survey mode only. The primary goals of LSST operations are to: 1) maintain the end-to-end survey throughput at a level consistent with achieving the goals for the number of individual exposures at the level specified in the Science Requirements Document within 10 years; 2) achieve the specifications on image quality, photometric and astrometric accuracy, etc.; and 3) enable effective use of the data by a broad community of users. In order to maintain the cadence required, the observations, data processing, data quality assurance, archiving, and access for the community must all be highly automated. The LSST operations plan describes the operational model, the facilities required and their locations, and the services that will be provided.