Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 19:55:09 From: Kimberly Strong To: MANTRA email list Subject: MANTRA 2002 - Wednesday, August 28 Status MANTRA 2002 - Wednesday, August 28 Status Greetings from Vanscoy, We started off early today, planning to be on station at 7 PM for launch at 2 AM Thursday. However, by ~4 PM, we still had more tests remaining than could reasonably be done in three hours without significant risk to the mission. So we have decided to postpone the launch by one day, now aiming for 2 AM Friday. Stratospheric winds look okay for then, but the 36-hour forecast for surface winds is borderline. Ozonesondes - 11th launch this morning with large Raven balloon, reached 42 km Achievements since yesterday's report: - laser alignment of pointing system, SPS-B1, MAESTRO-B, and MSC FTS - solar alignment checks of the same outdoors - hanging test of pointing system with 100-foot crane - writing command format and choosing integration times for MAESTRO-B - testing of pointing system command of SPS-B1 and MAESTRO-B - internal alignment of MSC FTS (InSb and MCT channels both functional) - integration and initial testing of new sensor monitoring system with MSC FTS - implementation of PC-104 and new power supply for DU FTS - partial testing of data logger with new software - check of onboard colour video camera with working transmitter Major tasks before we go "on station" at 7 PM Thursday, aiming for 2 AM launch Friday: - some work on pointing system software hanging gondola indoors - final solar checks of alignment outdoors - possibly further testing and calibration of new sensor monitoring system with MSC FTS - testing of pointing system command of MSC FTS - continuing investigation of DU FTS performance on both MCT channels - final payload assembly - payload functional tests, including data logger on all channels - repeat of interference (RFI) test Media coverage today: - Tom did live interview on Newsworld/CBC TV at 5:30 AM local time - Globe and Mail article at http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/front/RTGAM/20020828/wball08282/Front/homeBN/breakingnews - Saskatoon Star Phoenix article 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------