On December 19, we did Spider’s Compatibility test. This is essentially a dress rehearsal for launch. We go through our pre-launch checklist, disconnect from all our non-flight ground cables, and hang out on the launch vehicle (aka The Boss). The test went fine.
This set off a blur of days as we immediately prepared to start trying to launch, with the first attempt beginning the evening after Compatibility ended. For the first attempt, we had a whole bunch of little tasks to finish before we were really truly launch ready, like cleaning pre-flight data from the computers, and finishing arts-and-crafts on the sun shields. Which meant much of the team had little rest.
We had a couple scrubbed attempts, where we got all ready, rolled outside, and waited for the weather to maybe look good enough to launch. It didn’t. (Yet.) And then we reversed the procedure to roll back inside to try again the next evening. And again. Until finally…
Mess of disconnected cables
From some late night detector noise testing
Opening the apertures
Removing the foam covers inside
DO WIGGLE!
The Boss is waiting
Forking a pump onto The Boss
Spider coming outside
In a launch-ready state
Electronics guys wait their turn
Cory on The Boss's deck
Spider outside
Alec swaps ropes
From the indoor hoist to The Boss
The Boss, Spider, Payload Bay 2
Garrison drives
Tyler holds The Boss's leash
(Keeps the flight cables out of the way)
The Boss from behind
The parachute bin
Installing CSBF's solar panels
More onlookers
Ready to lift
Lifted!
By the launch vehicle!
CSBF solar panels, and ballast hopper
Corwin guards our pump hose
Sneak pieak of Cory
Spider backs up from the deck
Compatiblity happening
ie sitting there doing apparently nothing while we check that everything works
Simon poses with Spider
I pose with Spider
So much solar power
Bill's tur nguarding the pump
As we roll back into the payload bay
Undoing solar panels
Johanna's custom high-vis vest
IMG_0956
Jared photographs
Basically everything
Coming back inside
Cutting an extra access hole
For reaching in to top up the liquid helium
Tweaking the thermal covers
Final parting messages to Spider
Sealing up the bottom
After floor-signing completes. (And removal of cryogenic drip bucket)
Spider shirts in action
They're multiplying!
SImon reaches
Things are hard to reach once the sun shields are fully filled in.
Bill is a supportive advisor
Checklist master Jeff
Spider's body cameras
Spider's belly
Feat thin bag over electronics, as protection during ascent
Belly and floor
Harnessing the power of the Johanna hat
Through the side hatch
Control electronics and main flight computer
Covering solar panel cables
After swapping them to flight configuration
Custom fit vest
As Curtis and several riggers take pity on Joseph's confusion
Corwin and the pump
YOLO hat.
With Susan in full disguise mode
Solar panels ready to go back on
Spider back out on the deck
Rope swap again
The Boss picking Spider up again
The control center
Our crappiest laptop ended up the center of activity, thanks mostly to proximity to door and radio
Jared with multiple cameras
Spider lfiter for first launch attempt
Backing up for possibly the last time
(But not actually the last time)
Watching her go
Safety cones
Nap time
It's been a long few days, with lots of missed sleep
Suren made a chair
With scrap lumber, while we were waiting
Rose gives a pi ball lesson
"Pilot balloon", for measuring winds
Jared is really excited to launch the pi ball
(Not actually his birthday)
Jared's moment to shine
Launch!
(Though it found winds too high for Spider)
Rose tracks
On the theodolite
Sunny Spider
Coming back insde
No launch today
Hello, shovel
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