36 days until launch.
Yesterday we transferred the spacecraft from the blue dolly to the mating dolly (Byrd Mobile, designed by Jim Byrd) in preparation for next week's mate to the Pegasus rocket. As part of this operation, we measured the spacecraft weight with a load cell during the lift, and we verified proper operation of the spacecraft gyros by rotating the spacecraft on the turnover fixture. The gyros measure the spacecraft's rotation rate and direction.
The first photo shows George Mooney on the left operating the crane, while Giulio Rosanova, Gary Cooper, Jim Byrd, and Joyce Bergum grab the cables from the lifting sling. The second photo shows the spacecraft leaving the blue dolly. In the third photo, Gary disconnects GSE cables from under the spacecraft in preparation for measurement of the spacecraft weight. The fourth photo shows the blue dolly which has carried the spacecraft throughout integration--it has served us well.
This next series of photos shows WIRE going onto the turnover fixture, then being rotated to a horizontal position in preparation for mate to the rocket. The final photo shows George and Giulio installing the horizontal lifting GSE.
The first photo shows Giulio guiding the spacecraft into position on the Byrd Mobile. In the second photo, Scott Shick prepares the instrument vacuum connection. The final picture shows the spacecraft as it is now, with the vacuum line connected to the instrument and the rocket in the background.
Today we are running the launch-pad functional. Tomorrow we will run operations testing with the ops center at Goddard.
Previous updates:
August 18, 1997 Structure and Cryostat progress
October 20, 1997 Structure qual and harness
installation
October 31, 1997 First powerup
November 7, 1997 Transponder integration, power
long functional
November 14, 1997 WIE and pyro
box integration
November 21, 1997 RF and ACS
integration
December 5, 1997 ACS testing
December 23, 1997 Work under spacecraft
January 9, 1998 ACS testing, gyro phasing
January 16, 1998 Instrument thermal simulator
January 23, 1998 Wire tracker
January 30, 1998 Build up solar array
February 6, 1998 Ops testing, remove transponder
February 20, 1998 Move to Building 7
March 12, 1998 Cleaning and Solar Array Testing
March 23, 1998 Prep for Environmental and into EMI
April 3, 1998 EMI and Vibration
April 20, 1998 Vibration and Shock
April 25, 1998 Thermal Balance
May 29, 1998 Instrument integration and Thermal
Vacuum
June 3, 1998 Spin Balance
June 17, 1998 Astrotech Tour and Magnetic
Calibration
June 30, 1998 QD qual, fairing fit
check, comprehensive testing
July 29, 1998
Ready to ship, QD testing
August 13, 1998 Launch delay
November 23, 1998 New launch date
January 19, 1999 WIRE at launch site