WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 16 JANUARY 2004:
GRAVITY PROBE B LAUNCH DATE
We currently anticipate that the Gravity Probe B space vehicle will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California sometime in the 2nd Quarter of 2004. At a high level meeting on January 15, 2004, NASA Headquarters moved the earliest launch date for Gravity Probe B up to April 17, 2004. The exact time of launch depends on the date. On April 17th, the launch would be around 10:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time, and about 4 minutes earlier each day thereafter.
We update these highlights every Friday, and we will post any new information about the launch as soon as it becomes available. Please bookmark this Web site and check back often for the latest GP-B launch information.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE OPERATIONS THIS WEEK
Following is the current status of the GP-B spacecraft and launch vehicle at
VAFB:
- The Gravity Probe B spacecraft is being maintained in a stand-down state, awaiting the return of the reworked Experiment Control Unit (ECU). The reworked ECU is currently scheduled to be returned to VAFB on February 10, 2004, and full ground operations will then resume at Vandenberg.
- Preparations for servicing the Gas Management Assembly (GMA) when the ECU returns are underway and proceeding smoothly.
- The temperature of the dewar's main tank is 1.8694 K. The guard tank is refilled weekly, and its current level is 69.5%. The heat rate is 23.2 mW.
- The battery charge is being monitored continuously during the stand-down period.
- The Delta II launch vehicle, with the solid motors attached, will remain on the launch pad, surrounded by the mobile service tower (MST), for the duration of the repair period.
LOCKHEED MARTIN, PALO ALTO OPERATIONS THIS WEEK
- Thermal vacuum testing and full functional testing were completed on the ECU power bracket this week.
- The reworked power bracket successfully passed a Reassembly Readiness Review this past Tuesday, and it was reinstalled in the ECU on Wednesday.
- The ECU will undergo vibration testing early next week.
- The ECU rework is proceeding on schedule for shipment back to Vandenberg AFB on February 10, 2004.
Photos: In the upper photo, Lockheed Martin photographer Russ Underwood captured the Gravity Probe B spacecraft on November 10, 2003 (Press Day) from a high perch in the vehicle processing room. Assuming that the reworking and testing of the ECU continues on schedule, the spacecraft will be returned to this launch-ready state by March, 2004. The lower photo shows the ECU (black box), which was removed from the spacecraft, on a test bench at Lockheed Martin in Palo Alto, CA. Click on the thumbnails to view enlargements of the photos.
GRAVITY PROBE B ON THE NATIONAL CBS EVENING NEWS, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2003
On Sunday evening, December 28, 2003, the Cover story on the CBS Evening News was on the subject of time—examined from both human and cosmic perspectives. The story featured interviews with a manager from Torneau Time Machines (the largest watch store in New York City), physicist Brian Greene (a proponent of String Theory), and our own Gravity Probe B Principal Investigator, Francis Everitt. Typical of television news, the entire story lasted a little over three minutes, but it was heart warming to see Francis and our spacecraft on the national news. Perhaps the best sound byte from Francis was a quote from St. Augustine that CBS chose not to use: "What was God doing before he made heaven and earth? ... He was preparing hell for those that would pry into such profound mysteries."
Click
here to view a video clip of the CBS News story about time.
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