Starlink Site openings
Opened |
Site |
Computer |
1979 Dec |
RAL |
780 |
1980 Jan |
ROE, RGO |
780, 780 (RGO transferred to CAM 90/4) |
Feb |
Cambridge, UCL |
780, 780 |
Jul |
Manchester |
780 |
1982 Mar |
Durham |
750 |
Oct |
Birmingham |
750 |
1984 Nov |
Leicester |
750 |
1985 Mar |
Jodrell Bank |
780 at MAN moved to JOD, new 750 at MAN |
1986 Apr |
St Andrews |
microVAX |
May |
Preston |
microVAX |
Sep |
Southampton |
microVAX |
1987 Feb |
Cardiff |
microVAX |
Jun |
QMC |
microVAX |
Aug |
Keele |
microVAX |
Nov |
Oxford |
microVAX |
Dec |
Armagh, Belfast |
microVAX |
1988 Feb |
Database (RAL) |
microVAX |
1989 Oct |
ICSTM |
microVAX (first DECstation at RAL) |
1990 Mar |
RAL |
split into 2 clusters: Project (PRO) and Astrophysics (RAL) |
Apr |
RGO |
closed (moved to CAM) |
May |
Sussex |
microVAX |
Sep |
Kent |
microVAX |
Oct |
Hatfield |
microVAX |
1993 Aug |
Liverpool |
|
Dec |
Glasgow |
|
1994 May |
MRAO |
now regarded as a separate User centre from CAM |
Oct |
Sheffield |
|
1995 Oct |
Bristol |
|
1997 Oct |
Leeds ? |
|
The move to Unix
Site |
Planned |
Slipped to |
Achieved |
ARM |
94 Jan |
94 Dec |
94 Dec |
BEL |
94 Jan |
94 Dec |
94 Dec |
BIR |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
CAM |
94 Apr |
|
94 Apr |
CAR |
93 Oct |
|
93 Oct |
DUR |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
EDI |
94 Dec |
95 Jan |
? |
GLA |
93 Nov |
|
93 Dec |
HAT |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
IMP |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
JOD |
93 Jun |
|
93 Jun |
KEE |
92 Dec |
93 Jun |
94 Mar |
KEN |
94 Dec |
95 Jan |
95 Feb |
LEI |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
LJM |
93 Sep |
|
93 Aug |
MAN |
94 Jan |
94 Dec |
94 Dec |
OXF |
94 Oct |
94 Dec |
94 Dec |
PRE |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
QMW |
94 Dec |
95 Jan |
? |
PRO |
? |
|
94 Dec |
RAL |
93 Oct |
94 Mar |
94 Mar |
SHE |
94 Oct |
|
94 Oct |
STA |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
SOU |
94 Apr |
94 Jul |
94 Jul |
SUS |
95 Apr |
|
? |
UCL |
94 Dec |
|
94 Dec |
Starlink Milestones
1978 |
Panel on Astronomical Image and Data Processing (Disney) set up by Astronomy II committee of SRC. Its report (Jul 79) led to Starlink. |
1979 |
SRC approved setting up of Starlink. |
|
First meeting of SAG (Scientific Advisory Group) (Sep 12). |
1980 |
User service began (Apr 1). |
|
Official opening (Oct 24). |
1982 |
Tiger Team (Culhane) set up to seek more manpower from ASR Board. Unsuccessful. |
1983 |
Computing Review Working Party (Culhane) set up to decide how to implement cuts in Starlink staff & finance. |
1984 |
Central management moved from Computing Division to Space & Astrophysics Division at RAL. |
|
SUC (Starlink Users' Committee) replaced SAG. |
1986 |
Starlink Project recommended to community that IRAF be adopted as Starlink's environment. |
|
Software Environment Review meetings. Decided to develop ADAM. |
|
Starlink Questionnaire No 1 (Wallace) (SGP/35). |
1989 |
Tiger Team interviewed Starlink staff at RAL to set priorities for Project's activities. This was part of SUC's "Making Ends Meet" study. |
1990 |
ADAM support Group set up at RAL (Allan). |
1992 |
Starlink Review Panel (Willmore). Reported Sep 92. |
1993 |
National Audit Office Review of Starlink (part of RAL review). Reported Jan 94. |
|
SP (Starlink Panel) replaced SUC. |
1994 |
Starlink Software Survey (Warren-Smith) (SGP/43). |
|
ADAM Review Panel (Hills). Reported Mar 95 (SGP/45). |
|
Unsuccessful bid from RGO to relocate Starlink (part of OIM review). Reported Jan 95. |
1995 |
Move to Unix completed (Apr). |
|
Starlink Review 1995 (Dufton) - ROSO (Review of Starlink Operations). Reported Oct 95. |
1996 |
Starlink Software Review (Starlink Panel) - efficiency. |
|
Starlink Software Survey 2 (Anne Charles). |
|
Support for PCs began (Linux). |
|
First issue of Starlink software on CD (for PC/Linux). |
|
Starlink Software Review (Starlink Panel) - wide ranging. |
1997 |
Starlink Prior Options Review (Robinson). Reported Jan 97. |
|
All Starlink software now released bi-annually on CD. |
|
ACP (Astronomical Computing Panel) replaced SP. |
|
HAC (Head of Astronomical Computing) appointed. |