GRANCAIN is a near-infrared scientific camera developed to operate with the Adaptive Optics system of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), enabling it to reach the diffraction limit and provide the best spatial resolution from the ground.

Conceived as a strategic and transitional instrument, GRANCAIN supports the commissioning of the GTC's Adaptive Optics system (GTCAO) while ensuring the continuity of near-infrared scientific capabilities until FRIDA is fully operational. Its development reflects an efficient and sustainable approach: the instrument was assembled using repurposed components from previously decommissioned systems and was financed by the European Recovery and Resilience Facility, maximizing existing technological assets and optimizing development time and costs.

In May 2025, GRANCAIN was formally accepted into the Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) facilities of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). In October, it was installed on the GTC, successfully completing its integration with the Adaptive Optics system on the Nasmyth B platform. In November 2025, the instrument passed its technical verification using the calibration source of GTCAO and obtained its first acquisition image in December, marking the beginning of its operational phase.

During 2026, sky verification activities will focus on optimizing the combined performance of the GTCAO and the telescope to achieve maximum spatial resolution. Until FRIDA becomes fully operational, GRANCAIN will work as a scientific instrument, reinforcing the observatory's capabilities, consolidating the operation of Adaptive Optics, and ensuring a sustained scientific return and the international competitiveness of the GTC.