Rubin Observatory Plans for an Early Science Program

Abstract

This document presents Rubin Observatory’s plan for an Early Science Program designed to enable high-impact science prior to the first annual data release of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The program includes the release of data products based on a reprocessing of science-grade commissioning data through a series of Data Previews, a progressive ramp-up of the transient alert stream beginning in the late commissioning phase, and an incremental template-generation strategy to support early alert production. Additional components include the release of nightly Processed Visit Images (PVIs) and associated Source catalogs during the first 2 years of the survey, leading up to Data Release 1 (DR1), which will be based on the first year of LSST observations. A detailed schedule of expected data products and milestones is provided. Developed in close collaboration with the science community, this living plan will continue to evolve through the start of LSST operations and DR1 in response to early system performance and community feedback.