RTS2: Lessons learned from a widely distributed telescope network

RTS2 (Remote Telescope System 2) is a highly modular open source telescope and observatory management software package. It evolved from RTS , which was developed in Python to control a telescope aimed at observing optical transients of γ ray burts. The development of a network system capable of operating robotic telescopes is both difficult and complicated. Along with continued software development one must be concerned with maintaining operations and obtaining results. This is a review of experiences gained building a network of robotic telescopes. It focuses on describing which issues are important during development of the robotic observatory software and requirements for future development of the RTS2 package. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)