On 5–6 October 2026, the GUAIX group at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) welcomed Dr Nicolas Laporte from the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), France, for a two-day visit dedicated to MOSAIC. As Channel Scientist for the instrument’s near-infrared (NIR) channel, Laporte met with the UCM team to discuss its scientific goals and technical development.
Laporte’s research focuses on the earliest galaxies and their formation and evolution, using observations from facilities including the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble and ALMA. His expertise provided a valuable perspective for discussions on the science opportunities offered by MOSAIC.
The meeting programme covered UCM’s contributions to MOSAIC, the status of the NIR channel and its calibration requirements, including the CALEMOS system and detector flat-field calibration. Scientific discussions focused on Science Reference Programmes led by UCM and the Dwarfs4MOSAIC initiative.
The programme also included a visit to the Laboratory for Advanced Scientific Instrumentation (LICA) and discussions on assembly, integration, testing and verification of the NIR channel. Particular attention was given to UCM’s integration responsibilities and preparations for a dedicated integration hall, alongside organisational matters and the project schedule.
The visit provided an opportunity for direct exchanges between Nicolas Laporte and the UCM team, bringing together scientific priorities and the practical requirements of developing MOSAIC’s near-infrared channel.
