WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 1 DECEMBER 2000:
PAYLOAD HIGHLIGHT
The payload test team has successfully completed all pre-acoustic test operations on gyroscope #1 including most recently, caging of the
gyroscope. Operations on gyroscope #2 are complete except for the caging operation. The gyroscope #2 caging line has a leak which is currently
under investigation. Thermal measurements were also performed on the payload. The temperatures in the neck region of the probe agree with model
predictions to 10-20%. Work is on-going to determine an accurate and precise helium boiloff value.
Photo: A GP-B flight gyroscope in its housing being prepared for insertion into the probe.
SPACE VEHICLE HIGHLIGHT
Solar Array Release Mechanisms (SARMs) S/N 006, 007, and 008 have completed
final functional acceptance testing and have been placed in GP-B flight stores in LM B/255.
The ECU is in thermal-vacuum testing, in the first hot cycle. The Aft A Unit SRE Interpoint 12V power supply failed. An investigation is underway to determine the cause. The Forward SRE units are continuing MQA using the Aft Flight Equivalent Unit (FEU).
Photo: LM Engineer Sean McCully with one of the flight SARM's in GP-B Flight Stores in LM B/255. Not pictured: Jeff Williams, Armando Cortez and Jim Nix.