Prospects for a global Heterogeneous Telescope Network (HTN)

The goal of this meeting is to make real progress towards the creation of a global, heterogeneous network of telescopes (HTN). The purpose of this introductory talk is to set the stage for several days of discussion about how we might create such a network. I describe the generic structure of an HTN, the roles of the necessary components, describe the interfaces needed, and discuss the management problems, and the need for a market model. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)