I’ll cut right to the good news this month. On Monday, June 17, the upgraded Advanced Photon Source delivered its first photons to a beamline in the scientific user program — in this case, the 27‑ID RIXS beamline. With X-rays shining there, we have moved on to bringing other beamlines into ops commissioning, and as of this writing, four of them (27‑ID, 29‑ID, 25‑ID‑B and 25‑ID‑C,D) are undergoing shielding verification.

It’s hard to overstate how momentous this milestone is. Throughout a decade of planning, years of construction and months of installing the new APS storage ring, first light has been a long-range goal. Now we’re here, bringing up the stations that will enable your experiments, facilitate your discoveries and lay the groundwork for your innovations. We’re getting closer to welcoming you back to this renewed facility, and we’re all looking forward to continuing our scientific partnerships with you.

The above photos from 27‑ID and the Main Control Room tell the story, but if you want to see what it was like to be there as photons made their way to the beamline, this video puts you right into the action.

 With the new storage ring in place and operating and beamlines coming online, Jim Kerby has decided to move on from his position as APS Upgrade project director. Jim has accepted a position directing the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at Fermilab. Jim has been an integral part of the upgrade project for more than a decade and his leadership, particularly over the past year as the new storage ring was installed, has been invaluable. We wish him the best.
 
As always, the latest information about the project can be found on the APS Upgrade web page. Thank you for all your contributions and your patience as we enter the home stretch of the renewal of the APS. Until next time, be safe.
 
Sincerely,
Jonathan Lang
Director, X‑ray Science