WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 3 SEPTEMBER 1999:
STANFORD HIGHLIGHT
Payload Test Phase A continued this week with the successful completion of
testing of Artifical Star #3 on the flight telescope. The DPA readout of
the star was very clean and the strel ratio measurement met the associated
requirement. The gyroscope charge control test was successfully completed.
The ECU EU passed its acceptance test and was installed on the payload.
The team members working on these tasks include Ted Acworth, Rob Bernier,
Rob Brumley, Bruce Clarke, Howard Demroff, Paul Ehrensberger, Bob Farley,
John Janicki, Russ Leese, Dave Meriwether, Barry Muhlfelder, Byron Oh, and
Dorrene Ross.
Photo: The DPA (Detector Package Assembly) shown to scale.
Large Photo (click small to view): a view into the probe's telescope window.
SPACE VEHICLE HIGHLIGHT
The engineering unit transponder, diplexer, and band reject filter were
integrated with the GP-B Command and Data Handling System and the TURFTS
test set provided by MSFC. The TURFTS was also connected to the ground
system Front End Processor. The Space Vehicle System Test Team was able
to successfully send commands at 125 bps from POD-C through the
TURFTS-simulated RF link to the CCCA, thus validating the command
protocol. Telemetry at 2 Kbps was also confirmed.
Photo: LMMS Engineers Mark Anderson, Ted Gill, Frank Mendoza, Ron Raquinio, Pete
Carley, Lynn Walsh, and Willie Tai with the Communications Pallet mounted
on the GP-B Spacecraft. Not pictured: Larry Gibbs.