With Theo warmed up, there was nothing left to do in the campaign but take everything apart and pack. There was a lot to disassemble, and even more to pack, but we had a large group of people who were all pretty motivated to finish.
There were still a couple long days, not to mention exhausting hours inside the sauna of a sea container in the Texas sun. But that was no match for lightening hearts, and the simple pleasure of well-packed boxes. We even managed to relax a little in the last few days.
Now, we’ve all gone our separate ways. But it won’t be long before we’re together again in Antarctica doing this all again—and more!
Sahsa begins unwiring
Ziggy too
John climbs the back to remove some tricky cables
Housekeeping cable bundles
Sahsa really likes these cables. And these bundles too
Cowboy Ed
He got a cowboy hat
He's lassoed himself one big cryostat
Cowgirl sasha
Preparing to lift Theo
Lifted Theo
Midair cryostat
Anne controls one of the chains
Aren't antiquated hoists great? So many extra jobs to take photos of people doing
At the stroke of midnight, the gondola transforms back into a collection of tubes
And a single mysterious slipper?
Becky helps prepare bolt holes
Each one was painstakingly retapped or repaired to save time and trouble in Antarctica
Jon: Cryo Detective
Looking inside Theo for clues about performance
Insulation removal
Everything from the bottom is removed to access the inserts
Cryo team action shot
Removal of shields
Ed preapres the top dome windows for shipping
Joseph removes his SIP. Allowing the rest of the gondola to come apart
Joseph (mostly hidden, as usual) takes the SIP away
I needed one last Joseph picture
Telescope inserts
Accessible again, and ready for removal
Anne tackles the top
Taking special care of delicate and irreplaceable filters
Sean also prepares bolt holes
And thinks science?
Insert stands
Standing. But with no inserts yet
Telescope dissassembly team
They open each tube, to make a few modifications before shipping
Anne heroically reorgnizes all the fasteners
Sunbeams and satellite dishes
Disclaimer: dishes don't necessarily point at satellites (especially the one pointed down)
So many telescopes
Too many?
Becky, almost finished with insert preparation
And enjoying it. Or maybe feigning amusement at my antics
Telescope tipping
Little known pasttime, with a few staunch adherents
Insert "coffin"
Special containers in which, I guess, they're buried alive. Because they'd better not be dead!
Becky rocks the cowgirl hat
Pulling it off better than anyone else
Theo in her crate
And this is the end. To be continued...
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