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Gravity Probe B

Testing Einstein's Universe

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 20 AUGUST 1999:

STANFORD HIGHLIGHT

The cryogenics team completed the insertion of the flight probe into the flight dewar. In addition, the payload test team has started Phase A payload testing. Thus far, the SRE and TRE systems have been installed onto the dewar, the DPAs have passed the impedence test (a health check), and the GRTs, SDs, and heaters have been tested and are all functional. The cryogenics team includes Dave Frank, Dave Murray, Dorrene Ross, Mike Taber, Tom Walsh and Chuck Warren. The payload test team includes Bob Ajitomi, Mark Anderson, Howard Demroff, Paul Ehrensberger, Bob Farley, John Janicki, Russ Leese, Jim Lockhart, Ming Luo, Barry Muhlfelder, and Haig Yengoyan. Night time monitoring of the probe and dewar is being provided by Paul Bayer and Grace Brauer.

Photo: A collage clockwise from the top left corner:

  1. Mike Taber and Jon Janicki supervising the wrapping and move of the flight probe from the class 10 clean room to the dewar's present location in FistOps.
  2. The flight probe moved to FistOps, in the piston plate and securely suspended from the ceiling by a crane.
  3. The probe being lowered into the Dewar well after careful alignment (Photo taken through the airlock window).
  4. The top of the probe (called the top hat) sitting on top of the Dewar after successful insertion.

SPACE VEHICLE HIGHLIGHT
Solar panel substrate #1 successfully completed static load testing at Composite Optics Incorporated (COI) in San Diego, California.
Photo: LMMS engineer Dario Trevias observes the static load test of flight solar panel substrate #1.

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