Friday was a marginal launch opportunity. We arrived a little before noon to get everything ready and do some “final” systems checks. Excitement and hopes were high, group photos were taken, I’s dotted and T’s crossed. We proceeded as far as taking BIT out to the launch pad, hoping for a safe gap in the weather. Sadly, there was too much chance of a storm to risk laying out the balloon and proceeding with launch. Late in they day, BIT was brought back to the highbay. To try again another day.
![Mathew poses with BIT Mathew poses with BIT • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27393307510/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7352/27393307510_a572e48066_m.jpg)
Mathew poses with BIT
For what could have been the last time
![Richard perfroms some much-needed brain surgery Richard perfroms some much-needed brain surgery • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636559846/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7718/27636559846_6fd66af2f7_m.jpg)
Richard perfroms some much-needed brain surgery
![Ready to leave Ready to leave • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27393307190/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7783/27393307190_e56c47679d_m.jpg)
Ready to leave
![Changing cranes Changing cranes • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302831/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7346/27597302831_a7c145bd82_m.jpg)
Changing cranes
![Figurehead/handle Figurehead/handle • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27393306980/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7455/27393306980_ff3af9f892_m.jpg)
Figurehead/handle
Multi-purpose
![Leaving the highbay Leaving the highbay • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302741/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7286/27597302741_74aa63584f_m.jpg)
Leaving the highbay
![More changing cranes More changing cranes • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27393306850/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7451/27393306850_8058ea4566_m.jpg)
More changing cranes
![Joe on top Joe on top • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302661/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7398/27597302661_840e5e4ff5_m.jpg)
Joe on top
![Looking on Looking on • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636559246/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7433/27636559246_15fcf37f9c_m.jpg)
Looking on
Distortedly
![Installing fake solar panels Installing fake solar panels • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302541/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7344/27597302541_c39397f967_m.jpg)
Installing fake solar panels
No power needed, but want to check that having extra mass/sail is okay
![Final balance check Final balance check • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636558996/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7243/27636558996_6961ed313e_m.jpg)
Final balance check
With everything installed
![Finished Finished • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636559146/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7282/27636559146_690fe3c2f1_m.jpg)
Finished
![Group photo! Group photo! • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302491/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7242/27597302491_1fba84f9e2_m.jpg)
Group photo!
Obligatory
![On the move On the move • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302421/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7372/27597302421_9d38426248_m.jpg)
On the move
![BIT wrangler BIT wrangler • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636558796/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7385/27636558796_4d12c9a159_m.jpg)
BIT wrangler
![The crane The crane • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302321/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7715/27597302321_d449370f58_m.jpg)
The crane
![Hanging out Hanging out • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636558626/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7663/27636558626_f694961b61_m.jpg)
Hanging out
Waiting for weather confirmation, before proceeding
![Checking on pre-launch power connection Checking on pre-launch power connection • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636558446/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7610/27636558446_4492905dd1_m.jpg)
Checking on pre-launch power connection
Prevents non-chargeable batteries from draining
![BT, ready to fly BT, ready to fly • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302221/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7298/27597302221_e1bd2d5e26_m.jpg)
BT, ready to fly
And posing for a photo
![The professors The professors • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302111/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7410/27597302111_8dee9dbd6a_m.jpg)
The professors
Barth, Bill, and Richard
![Photo op: Richard Photo op: Richard • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636558276/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7434/27636558276_7e01b39e31_m.jpg)
Photo op: Richard
![Photo op: Javier Photo op: Javier • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597302041/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7567/27597302041_00ca4d74e3_m.jpg)
Photo op: Javier
![Photo op: John Photo op: John • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636558096/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7598/27636558096_8695eaf7a7_m.jpg)
Photo op: John
![Del, our CSBF engineer Del, our CSBF engineer • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597301961/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7474/27597301961_118078f97d_m.jpg)
Del, our CSBF engineer
![On the move again On the move again • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27393305460/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7046/27393305460_5b79615af5_m.jpg)
On the move again
![Heading to the pad Heading to the pad • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597301871/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7302/27597301871_295d4c431c_m.jpg)
Heading to the pad
![The pad The pad • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27571069052/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7607/27571069052_0046643641_m.jpg)
The pad
![Later. Waiting. Later. Waiting. • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27597301791/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7575/27597301791_aedd585892_m.jpg)
Later. Waiting.
![Sad return Sad return • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27571068882/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7388/27571068882_d4dbb27be3_m.jpg)
Sad return
After weather was deemed too risky to proceed.
![Back outside the highbay Back outside the highbay • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27061374463/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7063/27061374463_9bc1788e07_m.jpg)
Back outside the highbay
![BIT in the sunset BIT in the sunset • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27571068722/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7399/27571068722_aca1136964_m.jpg)
BIT in the sunset
![Lowering Lowering • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27061374403/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7370/27061374403_10fe696f12_m.jpg)
Lowering
![On the ground again On the ground again • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27571068582/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7674/27571068582_bd82fdbd65_m.jpg)
On the ground again
Ready for a crane switch back into the highbay
![Closer look Closer look • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27636557806/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7426/27636557806_0570836fba_m.jpg)
Closer look
![Removing solar panels Removing solar panels • <a style="font-size:0.8em;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27717602@N03/27571068442/" target="_blank">View on Flickr</a>](https://farm8.static.flickr.com/7691/27571068442_7b07dd0fcb_m.jpg)
Removing solar panels
As the sun sets. Not that it matters, since the panels are fake anyway.
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