A fully automatic, fiber-fed astronomical spectrograph will be designed, developed, and evaluated that will allow observations to be made at unmanned (automatic) observatories in a highly economical and convenient manner. In Phase I, the key questions concerning automated astronomical spectroscopy will be addressed, and alternative solutions will be considered. A specific set of solutions will then be selected and a preliminary design will be completed. In Phase II, detailed design of the prototype spectrograph will be completed, the prototype spectrograph will be built, and its performance and utility will be evaluated on a fully automatic telescope by typical astronomical researchers, educators, and students.
