Yesterday Natalie and Laura had the gondola taken outside again to calibrate the sun sensors and the magnetometer. We arrived at 6:30, and the CSBF folks all came in to collect some weekend overtime. We were out well before the sun got too high but had to wait a bit for the sun to dissipate some low-level clouds. Because the GPS doesn’t give attitude while hanging from Tiny Tim, we had to rotate the gondola ye olde fashioned way (ie Nick, aka Rotate Commander). Because of the heat, Team Rotate eventually became Team Shirtless (which Matt took a ton of pictures of—apparently photos titled with “Shirtless” are popular on flickr).
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- Nick opens one of the heavy doors. He doesn’t like using the crank
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- Tiny Tim is Back. This begins the series of Tiny Tim photos I can’t help but take every time
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- The sun is still obscured, but it looks like it will emerge soon enough
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- Tim lifts BLAST
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- Natalie looks on in wonder and excitement
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- BLAST starts to emerge
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- And the antennas still fit outside
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- Our third rigger to occupy the forward command position. They must have a cycle
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- BLAST heads back over to its favourite spot on the basketball court
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- CSBF lent us a few of their good walkie talkies
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- Joseph and Larry Harness up to go on the person lift
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- Larry drives, Joseph chills
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- Joseph moves the GPS antenna back out
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- I go out on sky patrol, and wait for the sun to poke out
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- I get bored, so take some pictures on the gondola
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- And some pictures of the riggers also being bored
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- Sun!
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- The PSS sees sunlight
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- Team shirtless, chilling in the shade (except Elio, he likes the sun)
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- Team shirtless doing the rotating thing (except Tristan, who just watched)
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- Elio heads back to the sun
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- Rotate Commander
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- All done now. Moving the GPS antenna again
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- Tim comes to get us
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- Tim backs up. I really like how the back end turns
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- More backing up. I don’t photograph the rear often enough
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- A new view for me, from underneath Tim. Tim is best (and unavoidably) viewed from beneath
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- Mandatory “Lifting BLAST Outside” picture
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- BLAST heads back home
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- Natalie and Matt observe together as BLAST comes back in
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- Bus initialized on 1481188th attempt. Sweet
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