Status 10/25 @3:45pm

We have completed the fixes to the test heater circuits and have placed the LEND test radiation source in the chamber. The chamber door is closed!!!

We have completed the DS filter table load and successfully retested RTS 86. Currently, we are running the LEND long functional test. After the LEND test, we will complete the dry run of the LROC background procs. We did one of the six already. We also need to run the Lunar Eclipse, and the emergency power off procs.

I think we are good for tomorrow morning.

Pre-Pump Down Status

Despite my hopes to get to pump down today, Dave and I determined we would not make an 8pm pump down tonight. We had some hiccups getting started this morning after compiling the database.

Also, the chamber folks are troubleshooting a harness heater.

Plan for today is to wait for the chamber folks to fix the heater problem, install the LEND source, run the LEND functional and then verify the LROC collimator has not been disturbed.

In between, we will be dry running the SAS Orbit Cycling proc, LROC background procs, Lunar Eclipse proc, and loading the DS table & RTS 86 update. Also need to install an ITOS patch. We will run into 3rd shift if we have to, to complete these activities. Phil, call Rick on 2nd to see if you need to come in.

Sunday morning at 7am, we will begin with the Launch Day Procedure (2hrs) and then begin pump down (around 9am).

So far today, we have updated the database and rerun the Hot Orbit Transient. We have started the load of the DS filter table and RTS 86 update.

Pre-Thermal Balance Testing (Continues)

We are continuing our pre-thermal balance testing with Mini-RF activities. We completed the LEND background functional test (TB-05). We should be done with Mini-RF tonight. Pre-Balance activities will continue tomorrow which include:

• Verifying new ITOS release (being installed tonight)
• Load FSW files to EEPROM (new DS destination/filter table and RTS #86)
• Test procedures for Lunar Eclipse, LROC background imaging, Orbiter Sim Background procedure, and spacecraft off
• Install the LEND radiation source and perform LEND Long Functional

Once the above activities are complete, the Launch Day procedure should take approximately 2 hrs after which chamber pump down can start.

more pre-TB testing

This morning we have performed some more fun pre-testing with:

LROC collimator (TB-03) , to determine that it's in the right place and pointed in the right direction, we took some really cool NAC images.

We also inadvertently power-cycled the lead TC workstation, which has some really interesting effects. This activity has not been assigned a TB number.

We have finally run the DLRE soak scan (TB-02) cleanly all the way through.

We have started executing the LOLA / LR CPT (TB-06).

We are still shooting for door closure on Saturday at 2PM.

Pre-pumpdown setup and proc checks continuing

TVac test preparations inside the SES chamber are going well.  Today the thermal team finished the blanketing, and facilities engineers ran the LN2 plumbing and completed leak check.  Fri 10/24 they hope to complete heater and thermocouple checkout and be ready for a Saturday evening pumpdown.

Outside the the chamber, powered testing  and proc checkouts consisted of:

*Hot Transient Simulation Proc Dry Run

*LROC WAC Firmware update

*Cold Start Proc Dry Run

*High voltage "emergency off" Proc Dry Run

*Lunar Eclipse Simulation Proc Dry Run

Payload Integrated Functional Dry Run complete

Payload Integrated Function dry-run tonight was successful. This is one of the most intricate procs we will ever run on the orbiter and to have it run as cleanly as it did was pretty impressive. Kudos to Jeff, Tim and the others who helped develop it. 

Getting Ready for TVac: Wed 10/22

Status 10/22: Today we completed blankets that go inside the enclosure. Removed the scaffolding outside the enclosure. Placed RF, MRF, and LR cables inside the "dog house". Removed instrument, star tracker and thruster covers. Ran memory scrub test on C&DH. Currently, dry running the Integrated Payload Functional.

Tomorrow we install the rest of the enclosure panels and hook up cryo lines. Continue to test thermocouple and test heaters. Install test blankets outside the enclosure.

I see the light (or in this case the door) at the end of the tunnel.

Instrument pre-pumpdown proc checkouts continue

After successfully running the DLRE Field-of-Regard scan, systems/ops performed a special lights-out test for the LROC WAC and ran a series of short configuration procs for CRaTER and LEND.  

Current plan will be to run the Payload Integrated Functional starting Wednesday early afternoon