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Yesterday we came in to a weather forecast of “Legitimate Marginal”. This means there could very well be a launch opportunity, but the conditions probably wouldn’t get perfect—just acceptable. In the spectrum of marginality, this is a fairly positive forecast. So, we showed up in the morning, went through our pre-flight checklist up until being […] Today is not a launch day. With CREAM having gone off yesterday, logistical restrictions prevented another launch today—independent of all other concerns. The weather has decided not to taunt us with unusable good weather. This is a small relief. Tomorrow, on the other hand, has a “legitimately marginal” forecast. This means it’s possible we can […] Yesterday CREAM finally launched. They were ready early in the campaign, and had been waiting a long time—first for the circumpolar winds to set up, and then for good launch weather. This means that BLAST is up next! Yesterday did a fake run-through of our launch-day checklist. This is a very worthwhile exercise as the checklist contains many simple and vital things (like open the window on the telescope). It also contains things like fill cryogens, balance, upload schedules, and generally check that everything works. Making sure that everything is there and in […] I came in yesterday in hopes of seeing CREAM launch. Otherwise, I would have slept most of the day. CREAM flies on a full-sized balloon, like BLAST, and requires full-sized launch operations. Truly exciting when it happens. However, when instead you wait all day, delaying an hour at a time for weather to improve, before […] Yesterday the second BARREL payload launched. BARREL really has several small payloads, but they’re down here to test fly just two. This is to check the thermal environment flying over the antarctic ice, which reflects a lot of light. Luckily for them, the first payload went straight north, over ocean (which reflects a lot less) […] A couple days ago we had a team of riggers and safety folks show up to weigh BLAST again. We thought we’d gained more weight than had been accounted for. Turns out we lost weight, so it was good we remeasured. In the afternoon I took some pictures while Tristan had us push the limits […] Yesterday I took more pictures of people doing random jobs buttoning up the gondola. We started the day with a cryogen transfer and final balancing of the inner frame. Then more things were made to be shiny, cables were all checked for tight connections, and we generally prepared to be completely mechanically ready for flight. […] With compatibility done, we are now firmly in odds-and-ends phase, making sure things are mechanically, thermally, and calibrationally ready to fly. Yesterday we started using up a lot of the scrap aluminized mylar to fill in holes. Lorenzo did some star camera alignment tests. And for a while, the lights were off and I don’t […] Yesterday morning was the first real balloon launch of the season! (And the first launch since the Australia “Mishap”, also available in several forms on youtube.) BARREL is a small payload that requires only a “hand launch” rather that requiring the large launch vehicle (aka The Boss). Still, a launch is a launch, […] |
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