From strong@atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca Sat Aug 26 21:49:43 2000 Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 21:48:46 -0400 From: Kimberly Strong To: MANTRA email list Subject: MANTRA 2000 - August 26 status Greetings from Vanscoy, MANTRA 2000 Current Status as of Saturday, August 26, 2000 Pointing System: - Kalman filter integrated into the software last night for azimuth pointing - hanging tests with 100 ft rental crane conducted this morning - tuned sun sensors, tracked elevation well, tracked azimuth to +-2 degrees under windy conditions - points well in elevation and azimuth using the Kalman filter indoors - have independent control of elevation (using gyro, gyro drift, tilt sensor) and azimuth (using magnetometer and gyro) - fixed heater control - almost done testing ground + flight software and updating of parameters - have a number of minor tasks, but could be flight ready tonight - remaining tasks: limb scan table, stiffen magnetometer boom, check out functionality, implement command to reinitialize sensors in flight, levelling and alignment of sensors with the SPS, may add two controllers for flexibility in azimuth pointing (PID and digital) SunPhotoSpectrometer: - problem with filter wheel in primary SPS has been traced to incorrect phasing of the motor and has been fixed - plan to recalibrate the primary SPS to have it flight ready - may fly primary if red leak in UV filter of the backup SPS is confirmed - software is flight ready - need to reduce insulation Emission Radiometers: - blackbody flap motors have been replaced on both radiometers and are working successfully - instruments have been reassembled and foamed - flight ready after repainting the exterior Star Camera: - recalibrating to increase the dynamic range Sondes: - fifth (dual) ozonesonde launch at 1 PM today in very windy conditions, reached 43 km Winds: - Calgary office of Environment Canada forecasts high winds (10-15 knots) for Sunday night/Monday morning, continuing until Wednesday (need ~5 knots for launch) - therefore cancelled plans for launch on Sunday morning - stratospheric winds (ECMWF and data) suggest that turnaround is occurring Planned Flight Schedule: - Sunday - alignment of pointing system sensors and SPS, final preparations for flight readiness - Sunday evening - earliest flight readiness - Monday morning - possible launch pending flight readiness and surface winds (expect to be flight ready by Sunday evening) Ground-Based Brewer Spectrophotometer: - continues to make ozone and UV measurements Ground-Based Zenith-Sky Grating Spectrometer: - twilight measurements continuing - continuing to optimize parameters and make calibration measurements Ground-Based AOTF Spectrometer: - twilight measurements continuing Cheers, Kim ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Kimberly Strong, Assistant 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------