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Out to the vault...
Dec. 1st, 2008 06:08 pmThere is an underground room that is located a couple of dozen yards horizontally and about 20 feet vertically below the loud end of our Proton-M when it launches. The room is designed to house the electronics that interoperate with the satellite, conveying commands and checking the "health" of the satellite as the launch clock counts down. Today, we hauled a rack of electronics out to the pad, marking my first visit to the place this campaign.
The early morning fog made for a very cold first half of the day. I was woefully underdressed when I came to work to help support loading of the equipment, although I sort of got used to not actually feeling my fingers. Eventually, we got under way, with our van following the truck carrying the hardware, mostly. Initially, the van sped on ahead to the hotel, where I jumped out to get my heavy jacket and Mike D. fetched some hard hats for us to wear, just in case. By the time we got back, the truck had still not caught up to us (and we're not talking any large distance, here).
Anyway, the gig was completed in a timely manner, and tomorrow, we go back to actually hook up all the hardware and also go up on the service tower to check the continuity of circuits between "up there" and the vault. I just hope the weather improves, or it's going to be pretty cold no matter what I wear. Then again, it may be that it's Maya's turn in the barrel, and I'll have some relatively cushy support assignment at 92A-50.
I've managed to finish my "extracurricular activity" ahead of time (technically, it's not yet due for several hours). In between, I've been trying to soak the birch twigs in warm-to-hot water, except for the fact that I really don't have a vessel big enough to do that (so I'm improvising, using the basin of my shower stall). Tonight is sauna night.
Cheers...
The early morning fog made for a very cold first half of the day. I was woefully underdressed when I came to work to help support loading of the equipment, although I sort of got used to not actually feeling my fingers. Eventually, we got under way, with our van following the truck carrying the hardware, mostly. Initially, the van sped on ahead to the hotel, where I jumped out to get my heavy jacket and Mike D. fetched some hard hats for us to wear, just in case. By the time we got back, the truck had still not caught up to us (and we're not talking any large distance, here).
Anyway, the gig was completed in a timely manner, and tomorrow, we go back to actually hook up all the hardware and also go up on the service tower to check the continuity of circuits between "up there" and the vault. I just hope the weather improves, or it's going to be pretty cold no matter what I wear. Then again, it may be that it's Maya's turn in the barrel, and I'll have some relatively cushy support assignment at 92A-50.
I've managed to finish my "extracurricular activity" ahead of time (technically, it's not yet due for several hours). In between, I've been trying to soak the birch twigs in warm-to-hot water, except for the fact that I really don't have a vessel big enough to do that (so I'm improvising, using the basin of my shower stall). Tonight is sauna night.
Cheers...
