AST/RO: Lessons from a Decade of Sub-mm Astronomy at the South Pole

Abstract

AST/RO spent over a decade at the South Pole, observing submillimetre-waveemission from the interstellar medium. We outline some of the lessons learned and experience gained that may be relevant to futureAntarctic projects. Small submillimetre-wave telescopes, on the excellent sites provided by the Antarctic plateau, have verystrong large-area mapping capabilities, together with the potentialfor ground-based THz observations. Highlighted technical aspects include AST/RO's lack of icing problems and availability of warm space.