Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 21:42:03 -0400 From: Kimberly Strong To: MANTRA email list Subject: MANTRA 2002 - Monday, August 26 Status MANTRA 2002 - Monday, August 26 Status Greetings from Vanscoy, Work continues on the various instruments, with good progress on the two FTSs and the pointing system software. Environment Canada's forecast for surface winds suggests that they will be low enough for a launch Tuesday night/Weds. morning, and then high for the remainder of the week. The balloon trajectory forecast for that launch time suggests that we will remain within telemetry range for the 18-hour flight duration, heading west (turnaround hasn't occurred yet). We are therefore working to be flight ready for Tuesday night, but will revisit this on Tuesday morning in the light of the latest forecasts and the state of instrument readiness. MANTRA 2002 has appeared in the following media stories (thanks to Heather Mackey of MSC Communications for this information): Newspapers - National Post - Aug. 23 - Saskatoon Star Phoenix - Aug. 23, Aug. 27 - Regina Leader Post - Aug. 23 - Agence France Press - Aug. 23 - Canadian Press - Aug. 23 (various, including Red Deer Advocate) Magazines - Western Producer - Canada Research Horizons Radio - Broadcast News - Aug. 23 - Radio Canada - Aug. 23 - CBC Radio Edmonton (morning show) - Aug. 27 Television - CBC Saskatoon - CTV Saskatoon - Aug. 23 Pointing System - have achieved 0.1 degree azimuth and elevation pointing in sun mode - working on limb scanning mode - need to modify event handler for the three instruments and test - need to do solar alignment with instruments - would like to do hanging test with crane if time and conditions permit - would like to program automated scheduler (if not done, we will have to rely on uplink telemetry as in 2000) MSC FTS - have MCT detector reasonably well aligned, resolution ~0.1 cm-1 - working on optimizing alignment of the InSb detector - software is working - switch has been added to share DU FTS downlink - needs testing - electronics and software to monitor instrument status during flight is just about done - need testing - need to align on gondola and and test pointing system commands U of Denver FTS - have one good MCT detector channel - identified faulty electronics board and replaced it - now testing MAESTRO-B - focusing completed - working on stray light tests and calibration today - need to write command format and choose integration times - need to align on gondola and and test pointing system commands - almost flight ready MSC SunPhotoSpectrometer SPS-B1 - need to align on gondola and and test pointing system commands - otherwise flight ready MSC SunPhotoSpectrometer SPS-B2 - working on definition of integration times - otherwise flight ready MSC OH Spectrometer - resolution has been optimized - have some minor tasks to do (align polarizer, add heat sinks) - otherwise flight ready MSC Emission Radiometers - flight ready Service d'Aeronomie SAOZ - flight ready Main Payload Sondes - need to test communications between pointing system and ozonesonde - otherwise flight ready Data Logger - have corrected some software bugs and partly retested with the CIP and some instruments (discovered one broken connection to CIP - rewiring) - now appears to be working, needs testing with full-up payload Onboard Video Cameras - both Bristol transmitters failed during RFI tests - will downlink video through DU/MSC FTS line, which means that we can only get a video feed when not using the FTSs Ozonesondes - no launch today Ground-based MSC Brewer - appear to have problem with slit motor - working on repairs Ground-based York U AOTF spectromter - continuing zenith-sky measurements, automation has been implemented Ground-based U of T zenith-sky spectrometer - continuing zenith-sky measurements - too cloudy for telescope work Ground-based MSC SPS-G - continuing direct sun and zenith-sky measurements Overall schedule: Monday August 26 - instrument preparations, begin alignment on gondola Tuesday August 27 - instrument preparations, solar alignment, possibly repeat RFI test (hanging test with crane is unlikely) Tuesday August 27 - flight ready for Tuesday night/Weds. morning launch (will revisit this on Tuesday morning) All for now. Kim MANTRA Home Page: http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/MANTRA/ MANTRA 2002: http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/MANTRA/mantra_2002.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------