WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 22 AUGUST 2003:
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE OPERATIONS
The following activities were completed at VAFB this past week:
- Space vehicle EMI test data was successfully collected.
- GMA rate of rise testing was conducted successfully. Data will continue to be collected for three more days.
- Certification of the pump module in preparation for conditioning the dewar was completed successfully. Dewar conditioning, the very important process of packing the dewar 95% full of liquid helium, will begin next week.
Photo: Engineer Russ Leese in front of the GP-B spacecraft at VAFB.
GP-B FLIGHT OPERATIONS REVIEW AT STANFORD PASSED SUCCESSFULLY
This past Tuesday, August 19, GP-B managers from Stanford, Lockheed Martin, and
Marshall Space Flight Center, along with program executives from NASA Headquarters
and a team of independent evaluators performed a complete and thorough review
of GP-B flight operations. The all-day review meeting featured 20 presentations
covering every aspect of GP-B flight operations, including launch commit criteria
(go/no-go), mission success criteria, space and ground network readiness, facilities
and ground systems readiness, flight operations readiness, mission planning,
anomaly resolution, data processing, training, science operations, and public
affairs. Time and again throughout the day, our GP-B team demonstrated its
thorough preparation, knowledge, and readiness for the upcoming launch in November.