TRR

[gfish]

Yesterday was TRR: Test Readiness Review. A bunch of very serious NASA people go around to each group and ask very pointed questions about how exactly that experiment isn't going to kill anyone on the C-9. It's just about the most intimidating thing I've ever gone through -- some of these people decide if the Shuttle flies. They are not fooling around.



We started the day in great shape. The robot worked, the code worked, everything worked. And then the onboard computers started shutting themselves off, possibly because of thermal overload from sitting in the hanger. And then the battery pack died. A lot. The very expensive battery which we didn't have a replacement for. But before we could deal with that...


TRR! (This is the team ahead of us. I didn't take any pictures when it was our turn.) And it went really well. The pressure systems guy wanted to look at our tanks later, just to do a visual inspection, and they wanted the hose-clamps taped down, but that was it. NASA had officially signed off on letting us take this crazy contraption into freefall.

Once that was done I jumped in the car and spent far too long driving around Houston getting the tanks filled to 4500 psi (which can only really be done in scary paintball stores) and finding new batteries. Came back, picked up flightsuits, and back to the hotel.


While I napped, neuro42 the miracle worker built this shiny new battery pack. Which, despite an impromptu arc-welding demonstration later in the evening, will hopefully work just fine. He and adularia are finding out at this very moment. No live video downlink this year, so I won't know until they land.

Comments

[tithonium.livejournal.com]

I think I recognize that meter.

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

I'm in awe of the ability of your group to scrounge stuff and Make It Go. For instance, it would never have occurred to me to get my compressed air tanks filled at a paintball shop.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

The tanks on the robot were originally made for paintball, actually. There aren't a lot of options for lightweight, high pressure air tanks that don't cost several thousand dollars each. We have the equipment to fill them from scuba tanks, which was very convenient for working in the lab, but those "only" go up to 3000psi.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Yay passing and being signed off! Yay flying! Can't wait to hear how it goes! :)

...impromptu arc-welding?

[tfabris.livejournal.com]

When you accidentally short a high-capacity DC battery, the result is essentially a small arc weld. Woopsie daisy.

[tnarg42.livejournal.com]

Thankfully it didn't actually *weld* per se, or else there'd be a large hole burned in the carpet here (and possibly bits of lithium battery scattered about the room). The large spot in my vision did last most of the rest of the night, though...

[neuro42.livejournal.com]

I was more impressed by the fact that it melted ALL of the solder out of the connectors, instantly.

[ionan.livejournal.com]

Hooray! Congratulations, and I hope the experiment goes well!