Following the ceremonial inauguration of the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) in April 2026, researchers from AIfA continue to travel regularly to the Atacama Desert to complete the IT infrastructure at FYST. Most recently, our astrophysicists Dr. Reinhold Schaaf and Dr. Christos Karoumpis were at an altitude of over 5,640 m to contribute to this effort.
In an article on #UniBonnOnTour, they describe their experiences: from working with oxygen equipment at high altitudes - the FYST is higher than Mount Everest’s base camp - to the weekly “APEX Assado” barbecue at their camp, the camaraderie among the team members, and encounters with llamas on their daily commute to work.
