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First full day of work...
May. 31st, 2003 06:38 pmI spent the morning getting familiar with the office at the building that goes by the nickname of полтинник (half ruble), owing to the fact that its designation ends in "50". The accommodations are spacious and Viktor and Sergei - who have been here from the beginning of the launch campaign - are friendly and helpful. There were only a couple of small translations to do, which were dispatched efficiently.
One of the curious items about the place is the stairwell. If you look really closely, you can see minor variations in the heights of the steps. Once you actually start up the stairs, however, the difference is much more noticeable (as in, you're likely to trip if you're not careful :^).
I went back to the hotel for lunch and to prepare for the afternoon's assignment, over in the building where the Proton launch vehicle, which is mated to the satellite that is the focus of all our activity, was scheduled to be lifted onto a transport railcar and moved to another building in preparation for fueling.
We actually visited that building twice. The first time, it was to disconnect a so-called "battery box" from the satellite. This box keeps the onboard batteries charged, and the onboard batteries are used to keep the satellite's systems alive up to the point where the bird is in orbit and its solar panels deploy, thus providing all the power needed for operations.
The second trip was, for me, pretty dramatic. When we arrived, the Proton had been rigged for lifting and upon command from the lead engineer, the process commenced.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Silence.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Another silence.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
This rumbling repeated about a half dozen times. I had the momentary impression of a giant wheezing rhythmically. In actuality, the crane operators were slowly placing tension on the cables and making sure the vehicle stayed perfectly level. Then the operators coordinated their units and the wheeze became a steady hum as the cranes hoisted the Proton and its payload into the air. After a few seconds, the vehicle hung suspended a few inches above its supports.
The process went very slowly (you don't want to bump this baby). Once the Proton was high enough to clear surrounding structures, the operators started to move the vehicle laterally, coordinating their movements as a team, without the aid of computers or other automation.
Once the Proton was in position directly over the railroad track that runs down the center of the building, a special transport railcar was backed up under the rocket and the mated stack was lowered and secured to the rail car.
All the while, the U.S. team was pretty impressed with the efficiency of the Russian technicians doing the work. Everyone soon left, except for the launch operations manager and me, and we stayed just long enough to see the "air conditioner" (think of a railroad car sized A/C with twin 18-inch diameter ducts) tested for particulates at its outlet and the start of work to connect the ducts to the corresponding red fittings on the satellite.
Right now, I'm waiting to hear from the Russian deputy program director regarding the completion of the move to the building where further processing will occur. Maybe I should go grab some food while I'm waiting.
Cheers...
One of the curious items about the place is the stairwell. If you look really closely, you can see minor variations in the heights of the steps. Once you actually start up the stairs, however, the difference is much more noticeable (as in, you're likely to trip if you're not careful :^).
I went back to the hotel for lunch and to prepare for the afternoon's assignment, over in the building where the Proton launch vehicle, which is mated to the satellite that is the focus of all our activity, was scheduled to be lifted onto a transport railcar and moved to another building in preparation for fueling.
We actually visited that building twice. The first time, it was to disconnect a so-called "battery box" from the satellite. This box keeps the onboard batteries charged, and the onboard batteries are used to keep the satellite's systems alive up to the point where the bird is in orbit and its solar panels deploy, thus providing all the power needed for operations.
The second trip was, for me, pretty dramatic. When we arrived, the Proton had been rigged for lifting and upon command from the lead engineer, the process commenced.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Silence.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Another silence.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
This rumbling repeated about a half dozen times. I had the momentary impression of a giant wheezing rhythmically. In actuality, the crane operators were slowly placing tension on the cables and making sure the vehicle stayed perfectly level. Then the operators coordinated their units and the wheeze became a steady hum as the cranes hoisted the Proton and its payload into the air. After a few seconds, the vehicle hung suspended a few inches above its supports.
The process went very slowly (you don't want to bump this baby). Once the Proton was high enough to clear surrounding structures, the operators started to move the vehicle laterally, coordinating their movements as a team, without the aid of computers or other automation.
Once the Proton was in position directly over the railroad track that runs down the center of the building, a special transport railcar was backed up under the rocket and the mated stack was lowered and secured to the rail car.
All the while, the U.S. team was pretty impressed with the efficiency of the Russian technicians doing the work. Everyone soon left, except for the launch operations manager and me, and we stayed just long enough to see the "air conditioner" (think of a railroad car sized A/C with twin 18-inch diameter ducts) tested for particulates at its outlet and the start of work to connect the ducts to the corresponding red fittings on the satellite.
Right now, I'm waiting to hear from the Russian deputy program director regarding the completion of the move to the building where further processing will occur. Maybe I should go grab some food while I'm waiting.
Cheers...
