After a few days of launch cancelations early in the day, we made a serious attempt yesterday. It was the best day we’d had yet. And Big Bill, the launch vehicle from Fort Sumner, had been brought in for some tried and true reliability. However, after going through all the motions, and driving out to the launch pad, the winds didn’t die down enough. We had to cancel again.
Today looks even better, and BIT is currently out on the pad. Fingers crossed.
Attempting to clean dead bugs out of the telescope
Launch vehicle arrives
MCC repairs
What's an attempted launch without some electrical panic?
Ready for pickup
Joe fixes some tape on Iridium Pilot
Big Bill
Richard has steel toes and style
Heading out
John handles the power cart
Outside
And clouds
BIT in profile
Joe hooks up the launch cables
Launch pin
Gondola wrangler
Lower fake solar panels attached
Shiny now, thanks to Barth and boredom
Antennas all laid out
Power from Big Bill
BIT's back
With GoPro sun shades, that Richard improves every day
Piggy back
Some local students are flying an experiment with us.
Checking the final balance
Taping some extra mass
+7 kg
BIT and BIT Bill from above
Blue hats
The cool kids get blue hats
Javier looks over
The launch pad awaits
Gathering to roll out
On the move
Turning
Wrestling with BIT
And the wind
Off to the pad!
Guiding
Richard rushes to catch up
Heading down the road
Almost at the pad
On the pad
Sadly, coming back from the pad
The winds were too strong
Another chance to repair computer power
And to repair our spirits...
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