With the arrival of our delayed November shipment of liquid helium, we were finally able to start cooling Spider down to her science operating temperatures. This process takes several days and some longs shifts. In parallel, work continues on setting up the gondola, pointing systems, ad sun shields. More and more Spider is starting to resemble an awesome functional payload.
Bill also arrived the same day as our liquid helium, making the team complete. We also happened to have all shifts together on a clear day, so went outside for some group photos. Courtesy of Jared and Rose.
Liquid helium arrives!
Cargo catch-up comforts concerned cryostat carers
We have a porch!
In front of our building
The highbays at LDB
We're in the far one.
Rotating Spider
To helium filling position
Spider is heavy
She takes a lot of people to rotate
Final positioning
First liquid helium transfer!
What most of a liquid helium transfer looks like
Waiting.. Featuring Scott in the background, acting as safety officer
Obligatory group photo in front of Mount Erebus
Obligatory bad time of day for lighting of this corrected by Jared
The "prom photo" group photo
On a staircase
The Boss gets some exercise
As the riggers prepare to simulate loads the launch vehicle will experience
Sun shield structure starts
Rearranging cryo vent lines
Pinhole sun sensor, covered
Susan prepared to glue on some gondola reinforcement
Gluing
Test fitting sun shield mounts
Main telescope baffles
And lucky unicorn head
Flyby
A Basler buzzes overhead, as they test balloon terminate electronics
Onlookers
Giving the pilots a tour
Inside an MCC
One of our detector readout computers
Pressure ridges outside Scott Base
And half our team departing on a tour
Filling parts of the sun shields with foam
Suren doesn't mess around with tiny knives for cutting foam
Simon's joy ride
He's determined to drive *all the things*. Here it's just a Mule to pick up a water container from the galley
Hihger elevation
Spider looks up
Exposed belly parts
Mostly detector readout electronics and computers
Attempted sun shield lift rigging
Inside "The BOB"
A place where much of the messiness of Spider wiring is condensed to a small volume
Replacing the telescope covers
I am ready for some interferograms! Hoping for no detector or superfluid weirdness. Also, super impressed to see you and Joseph keeping up with Advent of Code! Things must be going smoothly! 🙂
Hah! Sadly both of those things are going away in a mad rush to be flight ready for a maybe-opportunity this week. FTS has been cancelled, and I’ve given up advent of code until we’re sitting around waiting to launch.