WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING 7 November 1997:
STANFORD HIGHLIGHT
Under the direction of Dr. Hiro Uematsu and Dr. Lisa Ward
the Global
Positioning Receiver (GPS) CDR1 has been successfully
completed on 11/3/97.
A late change in the supplier of the
GPS receiver and antennae, from Loreal
to Trimble Navigation,
has made it necessary to schedule a CDR2 for 8/98.
The CDR2
review will cover the solutions to the open issues from CDR1.
SPACE VEHICLE HIGHLIGHT
Assembly and harnessing of the 18 flight unit helium thrusters
for GP-B
has been completed. Acceptance testing of the thrusters
has begun.
Additionally, the two qualification unit thrusters,
which are undergoing
a four year life test, successfully completed
their first six month
interim functional test. Thermal vacuum cycle
tests of the Flexible
Optical Surface Reflector (FOSR) to test the
adhesive strength and
electrical resistivity of the new pressure-sensitive,
electrically
conductive adhesive were successfully completed.