VST project: the adapter rotator (M1 cell)

The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is a cooperative program between the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the INAF Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory (OAC), Naples, for the study, design, and realization of a 2.6-m wide-field optical imaging telescope to be operated at the Paranal Observatory, Chile. The VST has been specifically designed to carry out stand-alone observations in the UV to I spectral range and to supply target databases for the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT). The telescope design, manufacturing and integration are responsibility of OAC. The telescope is in Cassegrain configuration and for this reason the primary mirror cell represents one of the most complex telescope subsystems, designed to host a large amount of auxiliary sub-systems and to support a wide field camera. The paper describes the solutions adopted as a result of an integrated optimized optical and mechanical design.