Update 22 June 2010: I’ve added some images acquired from Juan’s camera.
Yesterday the scoop was finally mounted; it is very cool. The second star camera was also mounted. Our number increased again as Enzo and Andrei arrived. Enzo opened up the FTS to get it ready. In the evening, after pizza and beer, the gondola’s inner and outer frames were balanced so that Laura could start trying to point. In the land invisible to all cameras, I finally made progress on a pesky bug in the data acquisition system.
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- Apparently the “Stubby” allen wrenches we got aren’t stubby enough. Mark busts out the Dremel tool
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- Lorenzo tapes up light leaks in the star camera baffle
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- The side scoop is well balanced
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- Matt is trapped in the scoop, never to escape
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- Mounting another star camera. Juan sits atop the inner frame
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- Lorenzo operates both crane chains at once
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- The camera is lifted
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- Juan bolts it in place
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- And the the other side
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- Enter the Scoop
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- Now the scoop is in. We need to lift it somehow
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- The crane is a handy lifting device
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- Everybody helps out to guide the scoop into place (except me taking pictures)
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- Tristan tries to get bolts in on one tab
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- Juan and Mark work on another two tabs
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- Lorenzo and Elio work on yet another two tabs
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- The scoop is then kind of attached. Just need to screw in more bolts
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- Tony is Supportive
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- The Scoop. It is attached. It is awesome.
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- Marvel at its awesomeness
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- The pivot and suspension cables are lifted up
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- The cables are guided around the gondola, and attached to the corners
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- The big heavy steel lid of the FTS
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- Black walls, mirrors, and beam splitters (or holes where beam splitters will be) inside the FTS
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- Enzo explains FTS operation
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- I gave Tristan the camera, and he decided to point it directly at my face for several minutes
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- The great stack of DAS cards I made while debugging
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- The gondola is suspended for the first time
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- Lead bricks to balance the outer frame
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- We’re out of lead bricks, so a box of tape also balances the outer frame
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- The scoop outside, before being brought in
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- “That’s it Nick! I challenge you to fisticuffs”
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- There had been clouds down there for a few days. They’re pretty at sunset (like many things here)
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- Venus and the moon in a gorgeous picture from Juan
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