While I was away on my day-trip to Fort Sumner, assembly of the telescope into the gondola structure was started. The goal was testing it in its flight configuration…and eventually flying. Asmebly continued over a couple days, with intermixed stretches of testing.
![Telescope in middle boat Telescope in middle boat • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800971413/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7341/26800971413_c4b40147a3_m.jpg)
Telescope in middle boat
With AC-blocking tent, which also proves useful for leaks during the rain storm
![Collimator telescope Collimator telescope • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27132094890/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7294/27132094890_139fc87156_m.jpg)
Collimator telescope
Pointed down, because the main telescope must point up a bit in its frame
![Vibrolator Vibrolator • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800964983/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7308/26800964983_ba6f2f0835_m.jpg)
Vibrolator
A gadget John cooked up to shake the inner frame at a fixed frequency, during fine-pointing tests
![Mess of hastily connected cables Mess of hastily connected cables • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27132090890/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7168/27132090890_e9ea2297f9_m.jpg)
Mess of hastily connected cables
![RAIN! RAIN! • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800960273/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7418/26800960273_75a5be5be3_m.jpg)
RAIN!
There has been a lot of this lately
![Outer frame up on jack stands Outer frame up on jack stands • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27132085470/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7455/27132085470_dc64c764e1_m.jpg)
Outer frame up on jack stands
So that the ballast hopper can be test fit
![The top of the outer frame The top of the outer frame • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309655742/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7609/27309655742_f67a19b84c_m.jpg)
The top of the outer frame
![Outer frame in the air Outer frame in the air • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800953173/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7551/26800953173_19031c5638_m.jpg)
Outer frame in the air
As its lowered back down
![Aldous and Mathew Shinifying Aldous and Mathew Shinifying • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309650532/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7129/27309650532_ea4310783a_m.jpg)
Aldous and Mathew Shinifying
The outer frame must be covered in aluminized mylar, to prevent overheating in the sun.
![Barth operates the crane Barth operates the crane • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800949753/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7421/26800949753_6354754a7e_m.jpg)
Barth operates the crane
![Javier lines things up Javier lines things up • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374094646/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7006/27374094646_e2b574948d_m.jpg)
Javier lines things up
![Now the middle frame up on jack stands Now the middle frame up on jack stands • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800945963/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7397/26800945963_e37ca3e63e_m.jpg)
Now the middle frame up on jack stands
![Vy and John install the cooling strap for the main science camera Vy and John install the cooling strap for the main science camera • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309646712/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7162/27309646712_29d93f8e8d_m.jpg)
Vy and John install the cooling strap for the main science camera
![Fully assembled baffle tube Fully assembled baffle tube • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/26800939623/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7405/26800939623_93b6a28353_m.jpg)
Fully assembled baffle tube
Prevents stray light, and has lots of heaters to control the telescope's thermal environment
![Not-quite fledgling swallows being fed Not-quite fledgling swallows being fed • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27132072540/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7054/27132072540_489dbe871a_m.jpg)
Not-quite fledgling swallows being fed
At the hotel
![Last minute modification of the inner frame computer Last minute modification of the inner frame computer • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309641832/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7284/27309641832_f888e848e6_m.jpg)
Last minute modification of the inner frame computer
![The guts of the IFC The guts of the IFC • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374071996/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7724/27374071996_36bcfe9237_m.jpg)
The guts of the IFC
![The master control computer gets a foam box The master control computer gets a foam box • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309636732/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7316/27309636732_df00450611_m.jpg)
The master control computer gets a foam box
To keep it warm
![Neatly routed cables Neatly routed cables • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374068446/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7738/27374068446_8f871e4a91_m.jpg)
Neatly routed cables
Remember that mess earlier? This makes me happy.
![More cable routing More cable routing • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309631472/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7437/27309631472_dff3d7510e_m.jpg)
More cable routing
![Inner frame electronics, ready to install Inner frame electronics, ready to install • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374063306/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7681/27374063306_f2c4eff820_m.jpg)
Inner frame electronics, ready to install
![Heater control box Heater control box • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374059066/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7305/27374059066_9b1f0d84c3_m.jpg)
Heater control box
![Steven searches for junk with a magnet Steven searches for junk with a magnet • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27309625202/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7587/27309625202_b28dc8aea8_m.jpg)
Steven searches for junk with a magnet
![Finds a few nuts and a bunch of ball bearings Finds a few nuts and a bunch of ball bearings • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374056676/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7376/27374056676_d8f62251c9_m.jpg)
Finds a few nuts and a bunch of ball bearings
Balls leftover from being dropped into the gondola as ballast during the previous flight
![Cables running off the inner frame Cables running off the inner frame • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374054936/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7177/27374054936_350ff11b56_m.jpg)
Cables running off the inner frame
And straps, ready to lift it
![Telescope, plus inner and middle frames, together at last Telescope, plus inner and middle frames, together at last • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27132049030/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7691/27132049030_412ee7a670_m.jpg)
Telescope, plus inner and middle frames, together at last
![Screwing it down Screwing it down • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374053566/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7541/27374053566_11daa98f17_m.jpg)
Screwing it down
![Powering up the batteries Powering up the batteries • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27374049756/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7510/27374049756_ef32a87539_m.jpg)
Powering up the batteries
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