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Gravity Probe B

Testing Einstein's Universe

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 27 SEPTEMBER 2002:

GMA SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMS HIGH SPEED GRYOSCOPE SPIN UP
The GMA was successfully used to spin up a low temperature, flight-like gyroscope to 55 Hz. The gyroscope acceptance facility (GSE) was used to support this operation. There were no test anomalies. Flow tests through each spin up line, leakage rate measurements, and regulator lock up are currently in-work. Following these tests the GMA will be shipped to Lockheed Martin in preparation for installation on the space vehicle.

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SPACE VEHICLE COMPLETES ACOUSTIC TEST
The GP-B program completed the proto-qual acoustic test at the space vehicle level. The flight software ran the space vehicle through the pre-launch operations. No anomalies were observed during the test. A post-test visual inspection revealed one minor issue. Adhesive tape located at a FEE feed through was damaged and will require repair or rework. Next, the vehicle will be removed from the acoustic test chamber. A functional test will then be run to confirm full post-test functionality.

Photo: LM Dynamics Engineer Mitch Skinner, NASA Marshall Dynamics Engineer Christy Gattis, and GP-B Dynamics Lead Mike Gate with the GP-B Space Vehicle in the B/159 Acoustic Cell after the successful completion of the acoustic test.

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