| Jason
Puchalla, Matt Kowitt, Khurram Farooqui and Bob Silverberg
(left to right) discuss final preparation of the radiometer
electronics for launch. The white box shown houses
the preamp boards that amplify the tiny CMB signal
from the cryostat during the flight. The amplified
signal is then sent to the on-board data acquisition
system and telemetered back to the ground station. |
|
| Once
it looks like the weather will cooperate, the gondola
is buttoned up for launch. Here Jason works on sealing
the seams in the ground shields; these serve as a
sort of blinder to insure that microwaves detected
by the telescope come from the sky and not the earth. |
|
| A
final telescope pointing check is done on the pad.
Sean Cordone and Casey Inman send commands from the
ground station and watch data from the gyros... |
|
| ...
while Jason radios back confirmation that the telescope
moves as expected. |
|
| The
final cryogen servicing is a bit of a feat since the
instrument is six feet off the ground. Here, Grant
Wilson and Peter Timbie top off the liquid helium
in the cryostat with the aid of a forklift. |
|
| Once
the the science team is satisfied the instrument is
set for flight and a final "thumbs-up" from weather
is received, inflation of the balloon begins. Note
the length of the flight line. Most of this is balloon
material that will be fully inflated once the helium
expands in the low pressure environment at 130,000
feet (~40 km). |
|
| A
perfect launch. The instrument is shown at the moment
of release. |
|
| The
release from a different perspective. Launch is at
dusk when surface winds are lowest. This means the
balloon reaches float altitude a few hours after dark,
just in time to begin observing. |
|
| The
instrument disappears into the sky, but this is just
the beginning for the science team. Back at the ground
station, signals from the telescope are monitored
and commands to the detectors and telescope are sent,
in preparation for a full night of observing. Once
the balloon stabilizes at float altitude, the telescope
is commanded to begin scanning the desired sky field
and data is examined as it is received. |
|
