Airplanes and satellites: how to keep LGS operations efficient and safe at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory

During laser propagation we are required to prevent the accidental illumination of aircraft and satellites. The first requirement is fulfilled by constantly monitoring air traffic in the vicinity of the observatory and stopping propagation when an airplane gets close to the laser propagation direction, as detected by an automatic aircraft detection system. Satellite avoidance is accomplished through coordination with the military-operated Laser Clearinghouse (LCH), which provides a daily list of allowable time windows for every potential target on the sky. Unlike aircraft avoidance, satellite avoidance is predictive and therefore can be integrated in the planning for telescope operations. We describe and discuss the impact of both avoidance schemes on the operation efficiency of the observatory.