WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 8 August 1997:
STANFORD HIGHLIGHT
Steve Larsen, Paul Lassa, and Mike Eglington from the Gyroscope
Suspension
System group have reduced the suspension loop execution
time on the RAD6000
processor from 2000 microseconds to less than
500 microseconds. This is
compatible with a 2kHz control rate,
and therefore with ground levitation
capability. The improvements
were made by removing the VX Works task
manager and rewriting the
square root algorithm for the RAD6000. The
RAD6000 processor is
the engineering unit for the GP-B flight suspension and
readout
electronics systems.
SPACE VEHICLE
HIGHLIGHT
PAYLOAD HIGHLIGHT
Phase 3 of the Probe-C Integration has been successfully completed. The Top Hat was successfully bonded onto the Probe-C assembly on 29 July. After a 24-hour cure, the instrumentation cables were connected inside the top hat, and the strongback was bolted on over the composite neck tube to provide structural support for the composite tube, completing Phase 3 Integration. The effort represents a big milestone for the Probe team.
The probe is now ready for Phase 4 integration. Phase 4 and final test represent a three month effort culminating in delivery of the probe to Stanford.
SPACECRAFT HIGHLIGHT
Contract deliverables and draft presentation material have been completed and submitted to Stanford University for the second Relativity Mission Spacecraft Critical Design Review (CDR 2). Fifty three documents and one hundred sixty nine released drawings were delivered to Stanford.