Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2002 18:24:11 -0400 From: Kimberly Strong To: MANTRA email list Subject: MANTRA 2002 - Friday, August 23 Status MANTRA 2002 - Friday, August 23 Status Greetings from Vanscoy, Yesterday was a long day, with the dry run starting at 8 PM and ending at 12:30 AM. The dry run mostly went smoothly, and we managed to complete it in a reasonable time despite starting a bit late. We identified various issues to be addressed in the next few days, which was the purpose. Today's National Post ran an article on MANTRA, which is on the web at http://www.nationalpost.com/search/site/story.asp?id=01D415EF-097B-48FB-8275-A4B5E814F851 Local CTV and CBC sent out TV camera crews to Vanscoy for interviews this morning. More photos should be up on the web later today. Access to the live web camera seems intermittent. We can see it on our LAN here and have been told that others have viewed it in Toronto, but also have reports that it was not accessible. We are looking into it... Pointing System - mostly checked out well during dry run - need to investigate STARS power to azimuth control (current draw may be too high, so may decide to fly separate battery) - need to investigate communications with SPS-B1 (didn't check out) - working on software to integrate reaction wheel, add pointing modes including momentum dump, and set up automation of measurements MSC SunPhotoSpectrometer SPS-B1 - need to investigate SPS-B1 communications with pointing system - may also modify SPS-B1 command to pointing system, otherwise flight ready MSC SunPhotoSpectrometer SPS-B2 - SPS-B2 checked out successfully during dry run - doing direct sun measurements today to determine integration times MAESTRO-B - checked out well during dry run after rewiring - working on insulated box, focusing, calibration, solar measurements - need to write command format, choose integration times, and test automated commanding U of Denver FTS - checked out well during dry run - able to align laser using indoor tent yesterday - set up outdoors for solar measurements today, to test detector alignment and set gains MSC FTS - lost telemetry on second check during dry run, appears to be due to FTS being turned on/off without turning off computer - working on software - want to add switch to share DU FTS downlink to speed up data transmission - starting solar measurements outdoors today MSC OH Spectrometer - checked out well during dry run - need to strengthen cradle mount - did laser alignment - working on optimizing the resolution, aligning the polarizer, software MSC Emission Radiometers - checked out well during dry run - ready to fly Service d'Aeronomie SAOZ - checked out well during dry run - ready to fly U of T On-board Datalogger - on during second telemetry check, but doesn't seem to have recorded all data - needs to be investigated Main Payload Sondes - UV sonde and ozonesonde checked out well during dry run - didn't include aerosol backscatter sonde in the dry run - need to test communications between pointing system and ozonesonde Additional Tasks - change SIL video transmitters - add SIL video camera and insulate with foam - insulate GPS with foam - add boom, solar shields, upper CIP, top struts - update Science Schedule for instrument check-out Ozonesondes - seventh launch this morning with large Raven balloon, reached 5 mbar Ground-based MSC Brewer - continuing direct sun measurements Ground-based York U AOTF spectromter - continuing zenith-sky measurements - working on automation software Ground-based U of T zenith-sky spectrometer - continuing zenith-sky measurements - working on polar alignment and tracking with telescope Ground-based MSC SPS-G - continuing direct sun measurements, did zenith sky yesterday at sunset Overall schedule: Friday August 23 - follow-up on actions from dry run, instrument preparations Saturday August 24 - RFI test, instrument alignment/calibrations with sun Sunday August 25 - hanging test with crane (possibly) August 25-26 - instrument preparations and testing Monday, August 26 - flight ready All for now. Kim ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Kimberly Strong, Associate Professor Department of Physics, University of Toronto Room MP 710A, 60 St. George Street Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7, Canada Telephone: (416) 946-3217, Fax: (416) 978-8905 Email: strong@atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/ http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/people/strong/strong.html ----------------------------------------------------------------