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The Gemini Observatory is currently in the process of developing a Adaptive Optics facility for the Gemini North Telescope. A key part of this facility will be a redesign of the current Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF) to a new facility that will allow for the creation of multiple laser beacons.

The Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) at the Gemini South telescope in Cerro Pach{\'o}n is the first sodium-based multi-Laser Guide Star (LGS) adaptive optics system. It uses five LGSs and two deformable mirrors to measure and compensate for atmospheric distortions. The GeMS project started in 1999, and saw first light in 2011. It is now in regular operation, producing images close to the diffraction limit in the near infrared, with uniform quality over a field of view of two square arcminutes. The present paper (I) is the first one in a two-paper review of GeMS. It describes the system, explains why and how it was built, discusses the design choices and trade-offs, and presents the main issues encountered during the course of the project. Finally, we briefly present the results of the system first light., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Laser Service Enclosure (LSE) is an environmentally controlled ISO 7 clean room designed to house, protect and provide environmental control for the Gemini South multi-conjugate adaptive optics laser system. The LSE is 8.0 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters high with a mass of approximately 5,100 kg. The LSE shall reside on a new telescope Nasmyth platform named the Support Structure (SS). The SS is a three-dimensional beam and frame structure designed to support the LSE and laser system under all loading conditions. This paper will review the system requirements and describe the system hardware including optical, environmental, structural and operational issues as well as the anticipated impact the system will have on the current telescope performance.

The Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics project was launched in April 1999 to become the Gemini South AO facility in Chile. The system includes 5 laser guide stars, 3 natural guide stars and 3 deformable mirrors optically conjugated at 0, 4.5 and 9km to achieve near-uniform atmospheric compensation over a 1 arc minute square field of view. Sub-contracted systems with vendors were started as early as October 2001 and were all delivered by July 2007, but for the 50W laser (due around September 2008). The in-house development began in January 2006, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2008 to continue with integration and testing (I&T) on the telescope. The on-sky commissioning phase is scheduled to start during the first half of 2009. In this general overview, we will first describe the status of each subsystem with their major requirements, risk areas and achieved performance. Next we will present our plan to complete the project by reviewing the remaining steps through I&T and commissioning on the telescope, both during day-time and at night-time. Finally, we will summarize some management activities like schedules, resources and conclude with some lessons learned.

The Gemini Observatory is in the final integration and test phase for its Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) project at the Gemini South 8-meter telescope atop Cerro Pachon, Chile. This paper presents an overview and status of the laser-side of the MCAO project in general and its Beam Transfer Optics (BTO), Laser Launch Telescope (LLT) and Safety Systems in particular. We review the commonalities and differences between the Gemini North Laser Guide Star (LGS) facility producing one LGS with a 10W-class laser, and its southern sibling producing five LGS with a 50W-class laser. We also highlight the modifications brought to the initial Gemini South LGS facility design based on lessons learned over 3 years of LGS operations in Hawaii. Finally, current integration and test results of the BTO and on-sky LLT performance are presented. Laser first light is expected in early 2009.

Altair is the general-purpose Adaptive Optics bench installed on Gemini North that has operated successfully with Natural Guide Star (NGS) since 2003. The original design and fabrication included an additional WaveFront Sensor (WFS) to enable operation with Laser Guide Star (LGS). Altair has been recently upgraded and functional commissioning was performed between June and November 2005. The insertion of a dichroic beamsplitter in the NGS path allows to reflect the 589nm light to the LGS wavefront sensor and transmit the visible light of the NGS (or Tip-Tilt Guide star -TTGS-) to the tip-tilt-focus sensors. We will review the various modifications made for this dual operation, both in hardware and software, and describe the steps and results of the integration and testing phase on the sky.