Because the start of our acceptable launch window is rapidly approaching (starting on maybe the 18th of December), we were not willing to give up on work yesterday. But, it was still windy, and the previous day had thrown some serious snow drifts up on the road. We could not go out in the morning, but would reevaluate at around noon—after getting a chance to enjoy Sunday brunch.
When reevaluation came, the weather had improved but the roads still sucked. Good enough for a team to get out to LDB, as long as they didn’t expect a shuttle to take them back to town at night. The team was Barth, Laura, Enzo, Mark, Matt, Jeff, and me. We did not get a shuttle back. Instead we got the computer back up and flight ready, got some noise and scan tests done, and got to test the emergency cots. They’re not so bad.
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- On the way in, Matt and I ride in the front of the Delta with Alec
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- Visibility is no longer too bad (and maybe dominated by windshield dirt)
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- Speed limit on the snow roads
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- For the last little bit, we ride in the back of a Mattracks to more easily navigate the big dunes
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- More folks in the back of the truck
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- LDB, all snowed-in
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- At work, Matt rips some tape to finish his foam box for computer power supply
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- I spent a while on arts and crafts to make the computer box flight ready
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- The heat straps are now insulated with nylon braid, and their holes in the box sealed
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- The flywheel gets balanced before we can scan in azimuth
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- Laura does the balancing
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- Enzo and detector data. Looking for noise
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- Jeff looks too
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- In fact, just about everyone looks, at least occasionally
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- Special piece of foam, to insulate the CSBF shielding from our gondola
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- Mark uses his favourite debugging tool: big clampy jumper cables
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- You connect parts of the gondola to things, and see what happens
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- View outside, from the deck
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- The Boss was parked in a dune zone (upwind of a building), so got covered pretty good
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- Some combination existing dunes, and deflected wind keeps paths around back strangely clear
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- Scaffolding
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- Big dune that looks to me like a dog’s head
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- One side of the galley is pretty heavily covered
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- As are the Cats
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- And the snow paver
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- The entrance to LDB1 (Scott’s office) got it bad
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- Collection of spices in the galley kitchen, where we warmed our dinner
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- Pots and pans
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- Stoves/ovens (where magic happens)
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- Knives
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- Other stuff
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- Stream of grossness, the result of a water leak above the heater
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- Clearly documented safety violation. From a long time ago (somewhere far, far away)
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- Laura decorated her area, to make it a little more Christmassy
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- Barth, talking to someone beside me
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- The inside of a CSBF box. It is super neat and clean
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- Once it became clear we would be staying, Matt and I set up the cots. I test one
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- Female Quarters. Laura had the foresight to bring a pillow and blanket
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- Most of the other bunks are in Hotel Mezzanine, around the shiny scoop
Who slept inside of the scoop? I’m sure you could fit Laura without a cot! It is the best place.