Yesterday was another busy one for the telescope insert assembly team. For the first time, five inserts were placed in the gondola! (Then most were removed as changes and rearrangements were necessary.)
Team gondola assembled the sun shields while waiting for the thermal/vacuum test chamber to become available.
Also lots of miscellaneous cable and cyro work that I missed while doing other things.
Jamil soldering
I have yet to encounter him working at an angle suitable for photography. That hasn't stopped me
Natalie works on the pinhole sun sensors
Sasha
Another busy day for the insert assembly team
Sun shields
Not yet particularly effective at shielding the sun
Don arrived
And he made a stack of boxes
Science
Being bored on teleconferences
Five telescopes!
As many as we'll run in Texas, and only one short of a full instrument
Ziggy inspects the fit
Much insert juggling followed
Ed deburring floor mounting brackets
I like deburring
Baffle packaging
Baffled Johanna
She shows off her handiwork
More sun shield bits
Nicely organized by Natalie
Sean assembling sun shields
Sean and Natalie
Sean is useful for this job because he's quite tall
I asked Natalie to pose for a "Job well done" shot
She twirled
Baffles
More of Jamil soldering
Finished product. A Control box for the motorized vacuum valve
Patriotic gondola
Blackening
A mixture of epoxy and carbon to make the inside of the telescope's tube extra black
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