Since I’m back after a short absence from the field, I should catch up on posting old photos from before I left.
The main work on the telescope was assembling the optics box and preparing for focusing/alignment tests. While that goes on, others have been working on gondola assembly. The local Texans installed their electronics, the SIP (support instrumentation package).
After a long initial week of work, most of us took some time to visit the Caldwell Zoo nearby.
Filter wheel and main camera
Neatened up wires
Neat cable routing makes me happy
The fine guidance system: the tip-tilt mirror and a focus actuator for the tracking camera
Installing the fine guidance camera
Fully assembled box
Leeav builds another box. For the batteries.
Two telescopes. The main one on the right, and the collimator telescope to make a fake star
John models with the telescope
The telescope
Installing the (bottom half of) the inner frame into the middle frame
Most of what you see is the black baffle that surrounds the telescope
Installed inner frame. The middle frame, like the outer frame, looks like a boat
Test fitting the battery box
Assorted parrots act as greeters at the zoo
Noisy greeters
Some birds. Oh, and Ivan.
People with phones photographing weird animals
This happened a lot
Eagles with no cage
I ended up with as many photographs of animals
I think there's a bear or something behind them.
Pelicans being fed
The CIP arrives
This is NASA's electronics to support our flight
Our flight engineer: Dell.
Inspecting the CIP
People try to figure out the balance
Installation by lifting the outer frame over top.
Yellow safety stands
For safety
Wrestling into place
New mirror cell
This supports the collimator mirror, but spreads force evenly to prevent it from deforming
Rotary/tilt stage to aim the collimator
Thermal speculation
One of the boxes (tip-tilt mirror controller) feels warm. This concerns people as it's hard to cool down in the stratosphere
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