The achievement of accuracy was merely a single step. Numerous other issues were yet to be resolved.

A fundamental request made by Nishiharima Astronomical Observatory, the client of the project, was that NAYUTA be easy to operate. In order for the telescope to be widely accepted by researchers and to promote public participation in research, the observatory realized that telescope operation must in no way be complex. The request was also influenced by the shortage of manpower at the observatory. Large telescopes normally require at least two people, an observer and an operator, but the observatory was intent on a telescope with operations easy enough to be performed by a single person acting alone.

This expectation gave Mitsubishi Electric the opportunity to demonstrate its full potential. Harnessing its comprehensive strength, the company drew upon control technologies cultivated through its work on SUBARU and other telescopes, and worked to systematize and streamline complex observation methods with the cooperation of researchers at the observatory. The effort resulted in an integrated control system whereby the operator simply enters the catalog number of the desired object and selects the observation method. The telescope then functions automatically to adopt the proper position.

The telescope construction and assembly process especially required meticulous expertise and care. To minimize the loss of onsite construction time, a trial assembly was performed in advance at the factory site. After all, any mistake at the actual site would mean a return to the plant and a potential loss of several months. Based on past experiences in telescope construction, each “block” (major component) was designed to allow easy assembly and maintenance. Owing to such foresight, the construction of NAYUTA proceeded more smoothly than expected.