LRO moves into TC-19; Configure for Hot Start

We have finished up the recovery from the Barker command Test. We have moved on through TC-17 and 18,. we are now in TC-19, Configuring for Hot Start. Hot start will occur in aboout an hour; approx. 10:50 PM. This will allow us to move into Hot Soak #1 and start configuring for the Orbiter Functional Test. It looks like the Orbiter Functional Test, TC-23, will start arount 1:30 AM Tomorrow morning 11/16/2008 The Orbiter functional Test runs for about 18 hours.

TC-15 Barker Command Test completed

At 8:15PM, this evening, the C&DH reset as per the Barker Command Test, TC-15. We started the recovery process and it has taken a little longet thaen was expected. Mostly minor porblems that were handeled in a reasonably efficient manner, but it still has taken longer then expected.

We are not yet ready to move on to TC-18 Hot Transition Complete or orbiter hot start, TC-19.

We are about an hour behind our predicted schedule

TC-15 Part 1 Successful

Part 1 on the command barker test was successful. After 24 hours with no ground commands, the spacecraft ran RTS 61 which resets the comm system. Now we are waiting for the 26 hour timer to go off.

TC-15 Barker Test Update

We are well into TC-15 (Barker Command Test). We expect to continue this test until 8:00 PM 11/15/2008.

At 5 a.m. this morning we surpassed a yellow limit on the SAS Gimbal Cable wraps and were forced to dial down the current supplied by the SAS to 4.6A from 5A.

TC-15 (Barker Test) started

1E-5 Torr reached at around 4:10PM. By the time that we finished TC-14 setup, killed the RF rack, tweaked the battery voltage, and then recovered, it was 6:18PM or 08-318-23:17:52 GMT. The Barker test is actually 93600 seconds (26 hours) without command, so the anticipated end is 8:18PM Saturday.

Patience is a virtue;
virtue is a grace;
Grace is a little girl who wouldn't wash her face.
(An old nursery rhyme of unknown origin)

Our plan is to run the 28 hour Barker Command Test (TC-15), unless..........

Our Plan is to start running the 28 hour Barket Command Test, (TC-15), as of 5:00 PM this evening. This means that there will be no commands sent to the Orbiter until 8:00 PM tomorrow, 11/15/2008, unless we run into thermal problems with the Orbiter configuration. If this happens and we have to send some commands to the orbiter, the 28 hour silence period must be restarted, in which case we may elect to halt the Barker Command Test(with the intent of re-running it later), and move on to the Orbiter Hot Soak Tests.

TC-14: Configure for Hot Transition Started at 3:30pm

TC-12: Start of Pump Down 10am!

We started TC-11 around 8:30am today. We are beginning pump down at 10am.

Here we go....

“Living in a vacuum sucks.” Adrienne Gusoff

Status - 11/14/08 @4:55am

LOLA/LR testing was completed at approximately 2am this morning. The orbiter was powered down around 3am in preparation for starting the launch day procedure at 5am.

Launch Day proc starting at 05:00 is still GO

Since last update:

*Mini-RF calibration test completed

*Subset of the GN&C FSW Functional was run (I believe DI and AC)

*LOLA/LR BCE/setup testing per TC-04 currently in progress and going well

Systems call that after LOLA/LR testing completes, the time remaining until the 05:00 start of the Launch Day proc could be better spent on some GDS followup work rather than launching the Payload Functional to confirm the LOLA BCE config, so we decided to passify (to coin a term) on the Payload Functional startup.

To all supporting the 05:00 launch day proc - systems requests that you be on station in overflow at 05:00.

We are closer o chamber pump down then we have ever been!

As of 5:00 PM today, we are running the Mini-RF experiment checkout, which will run for another hour. At approx. 6:00 PM, we can start the GDS software tests which will run for at least 4 hours. Following the GDS test, we can start the LOLA functional tests (no earlier than 10:00 PM). This puts us about an hour behind our schedule from this morning; meaning that we will probably start the pump down for the Thermal Cycle segment of the test, around 0600 tomorrow morning 11/14/2008.

Getting Closer to Pump Down #2

We are making progress through our list of activities. We have completed the LEND test without the source and the LROC collimator test. We are currently checking out the new RF switch box. At 1pm we will remove the LOLA CDA purge, install the LEND source and close the door. After door closure, we will run the LEND test and then the MRF tests.

We have a new RAID system and Warren Thompson is working on the installation. The plan is to install it between the MRF testing and the LOLA testing.

I think we are pretty close to the original plan. We may be off by an hour or so, but close.

Status 11/12 @5:45pm

Not the most productive day. We struggled through the GN&C FSW Functional because we had the safing enabled when last time we ran this, the safing was not enabled. We've decided to have Bruce rewrite his procs to take the safing into account and verify them on FlatSat. We will find another time to run this test after the procs have been modified.

For the rest of the evening, we will run the FSW Stress Test and then run Trending.

Tomorrow morning, we will resume with the schedule outlined earlier today.

Status 11/12 @10:30am

Yesterday we completed the FSW load and the C&DH FSW Functional. We also dumped the ST1 EEPROM and uploaded a correction to the two corrupted words. ST1 was rebooted and it seems to be operating nominally now. Hurray!

Today we have installed an ITOS patch to correct some bugs and allows everyone to monitor GDS telemetry. Currently, we are running the GN&C FSW functional. After that, the plan is to run the FSW Stress test and then orbiter trending. We think this will take the rest of the day.

Tomorrow (11/13) the plan is:
LEND functional - no source. (8a-11a)
LROC Collimator Test. (11a-3p)
Install LEND radiation source. (3p-3:30p)
Close Chamber Door (4p-5p)
Run MRF Calibration & Amplitude tests (3p-5p)
Run LEND test - with source (5p-9p)
Run LOLA and LR CPT series. (9p-2a)
Run LOLA part of the Payload Functional (2a-4a)

Friday (11/14);
Start Launch Day Proc (5a-7a)
7a Configure for Pump Down
8a Start Pump Down.

Between the tests

Yesterday (Monday) the ST#1 EEPROM was dumped. RF cables were calibrated and installed.

So far today: The SAS harness is installed to the test fixture (playhouse). We powered up and loaded FSW version 4.3.3. We are currently running the C&DH FSW functional.

The plan for the rest of today:
continue C&DH FSW functional
start GN&C FSW functional
at 7:30PM (done or not) we will dump the ST#1 EEPROM (third time) to verify findings.
at 2:00AM we will (in conjunction with Galileo) review the dump and may reload the EEPROM.

that's the plan, I think.