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Loading fuel...
Jan. 18th, 2005 03:25 pmIt's been a fairly long day, made longer by a fairly slow fuel loading process. After getting here early and checking to make sure everything was in place for the day's work, the loading operation got under way at around 9:15 this morning. A few minutes ago, the procedure was about 2/3 complete.
There's a team of two loading specialists in the room with the satellite and the fuel canisters. They are wearing special protective suits that are supplied with breathing air and equipped with radio sets. The rest of the team is in the control room next to the room with the satellite. I took the next photo during the oxidizer loading operation two days ago, through the window out of the control room.
The two guys on the other side of the window are the aforementioned loading team, and the togs they're wearing that look like ill-fitting smocks made of plastic blue tarpaulin are the aforementioned safety suits. The big gray tank in the background in the left part of the window is one of the two oxidizer canisters used during the loading operation. The strange clock on the wall, whose hour hand goes around once every 24 hours, is not your typical Kazakh timepiece (it's actually made in the U.S.), but it's curious anyway.
Another curious feature of the control room is characteristic of the French team here, and that's the photos of everyone having fun that are plastered all along the rear wall of the room. Here's a shot I took from my perch near the door.
The photos appear to be simply laser-printed, black-and-white digital images and depict people having fun at parties or while on town or Luna trips. (Can someone explain the irrepressible urge some males have to make a dopey face when in a picture with a female? And by that, I mean dopier than usual! :^)
Speaking of the French, a group of them was scheduled to leave today, and most of the French team gathered in the lobby of the Fili last night to wish them a bon voyage (lubricated with liquor, naturally). To top it all off, I was awakened (as were others) at around 4 am by French voices from downstairs singing at the top of their lungs and pounding on the walls in accompaniment.
Say what you will about the French, but this crowd works hard and parties hard!
Operations start early tomorrow (and I'm supporting them, at around 5 am, ouch!) so I'll undoubtedly take it easy during any celebrations tonight.
Looks like we've got an hour to go, and I've got some work to do.
Cheers...
There's a team of two loading specialists in the room with the satellite and the fuel canisters. They are wearing special protective suits that are supplied with breathing air and equipped with radio sets. The rest of the team is in the control room next to the room with the satellite. I took the next photo during the oxidizer loading operation two days ago, through the window out of the control room.
The two guys on the other side of the window are the aforementioned loading team, and the togs they're wearing that look like ill-fitting smocks made of plastic blue tarpaulin are the aforementioned safety suits. The big gray tank in the background in the left part of the window is one of the two oxidizer canisters used during the loading operation. The strange clock on the wall, whose hour hand goes around once every 24 hours, is not your typical Kazakh timepiece (it's actually made in the U.S.), but it's curious anyway.
Another curious feature of the control room is characteristic of the French team here, and that's the photos of everyone having fun that are plastered all along the rear wall of the room. Here's a shot I took from my perch near the door.
The photos appear to be simply laser-printed, black-and-white digital images and depict people having fun at parties or while on town or Luna trips. (Can someone explain the irrepressible urge some males have to make a dopey face when in a picture with a female? And by that, I mean dopier than usual! :^)
Speaking of the French, a group of them was scheduled to leave today, and most of the French team gathered in the lobby of the Fili last night to wish them a bon voyage (lubricated with liquor, naturally). To top it all off, I was awakened (as were others) at around 4 am by French voices from downstairs singing at the top of their lungs and pounding on the walls in accompaniment.
Say what you will about the French, but this crowd works hard and parties hard!
Operations start early tomorrow (and I'm supporting them, at around 5 am, ouch!) so I'll undoubtedly take it easy during any celebrations tonight.
Looks like we've got an hour to go, and I've got some work to do.
Cheers...
