Dear Colleagues,

We are about to start the S5 LIGO Science Run.  This is "the big one", 
for an integrated year of  data at design sensitivity.  Needless to say, 
a lot is riding on the successful operation of the interferometers and 
timely analysis of the collected data.  To get us off and running the 
following schedule has been put forward:

o  November 4, 2005    Begin the S5 run at LHO, with both H1 and H2 
interferometers.
o  November 14, 2005  LLO joins with the L1 interferometer.

o  The target sensitivities (specified in NS-NS inspiral range) are 
10Mpc for H1 and L1 and 5Mpc for H2.

The present states of the IFOs are close to these goals, but we will 
need some additional tuning.  With that reality in mind, we will attempt 
to bring order out of chaos with the following goals and calendar:

o  Tuesdays will be the scheduled maintenance and repair days.  In order 
to maximize coincident operations amongst the IFOs, LHO will schedule 
its maintenance from 08:00 to 12:01 PST and LLO will schedule its 
maintenance from 10:00 to 14:00 CST on Tuesdays.  The local site 
managers will coordinate all maintenance, deliveries (LN2, water, 
canteen items, etc.), repairs, pickups (garbage, FedX, etc.), and any 
other controllable disturbances during this time window.  Unforeseen 
problems, such as ion pump failures, will need to be addressed as they 
occur and be resolved based on the judgment of the local site 
coordinators and their staffs.  Keeping the IFOs up and at sensitivity 
will be the primary criteria.

o  CDS code freeze at LHO on Wednesday, 00:01 PST October 26, 2005.  
After this date software changes will be added on a "work permit" style 
basis.  More about this soon.  But it will not be too cumbersome.  It is 
more to track changes during a "freeze".  We have to have better control 
and accountability on how we handle scripts, filters, channel lists, and 
other very critical controls.

o  CDS code freeze at LLO on Saturday, 00:01 CST November 5, 2005.  
Similar rules apply.

o  DMT monitors running on CDS should follow the CDS code freeze date.  
There is a plan to check out monitors on the GC-side and to migrate 
"tested" monitors into the control rooms under carefully controlled 
approvals.  This way new monitors can be added, but will not disrupt 
data taking. 

o  LDAS at LHO code freeze November 1, 2005.  Interpreted to mean that 
the systems in place to handle the data delivered from the IFOs to the 
recording and level 0 archives will be in place, stable, and ready to 
receive data.  This does not effect the analysis work, but should be 
used as a guideline for best practice for them, too.

o  Friday, 08:00 PST S5 at LHO BEGINS.  The H1 and H2 IFOs should be 
stable and operating, although probably not at full range and 
sensitivity.  We expect a week of fine tuning by the "experts".

This is as far to forecast into the future as it makes any sense at this 
time.


Please note that while some of these measures may seem overly 
restrictive they are meant to establish the running of the IFOs for 
operations, not for commissioning.  This is a different mind set and 
requires different attitudes.  It is important to keep the instruments 
up and operating at the range sensitivities we have told NSF we would 
attain for the time duration of one year of exposure.  This make it 
important to distinguish between "commissioning" with its (extremely 
interesting) research and development focus on the instrument itself 
from the "operations" which uses the instrument to collect data and 
deliver the data to the analysis efforts.

The emphasis on coincident operation is well justified by the following 
comment from Stan Whitcomb:

"In the end, it comes down to the fact that given a supernova in our own 
galaxy takes place once every 30 years, if a binary inspiral that we 
could detect is more frequent than once every 15 years, then we win with 
double coincidence time.  I think we will find that double coincidence 
time wins. "

I look forward to working with all of you in this enormously exciting 
adventure.  This is the most sensitive, operating set of gravitational 
wave IFOs in the world and we now are presented with the opportunity of 
looking to see what is out there!