Starting this month NASA will start the first flights of the Airborne Tropical TRopopause EXperiment (ATTREX).
ATTREX
1/8 Accompishments:
NOAA O3, UCATS and HU/PCRS pump box re-installed
Software uploaded to Link Module and NASDAT
Iridium checks accomplished with minor glitches
Aircraft Ku system locked onto AMC16 satellite; ground station not able to do so yet
1/7 Accompishments:
The primary Ku satellite (Intelsat19) to be used for ATTREX (gives us great coverage over a wide swath of the Pacific Ocean) is @ 3° above the horizon, the DFRC Ku dish currently goes down to 5°
An additional satellite (AMC16, higher in the sky) has been identified that will give us good connectivity (for ATC comm) between DFRC and out over the Pacific Ocean and additional coverage to that from Intelsat 19
Working to get a contract in place for AMC16
Work on Ku dish command/control fiber cable
1/6 Accompishments:
Down day
1/7 Plans:
Work on RAG Ku dish pointing
Work on RAG Ku dish command/control fiber cable
Work on NOAA water vapor (off aircraft)
Work on UCATS (off aircraft)
1/5 Accomplishments:
HU/PCRS software work
NOAA water vapor instrument work (off aircraft)
UCATS instrument work (off aircraft)
Work on Ku system issues (in hangar)
1/6 Plans:
Down day
1/4 Accomplishments:
Aircraft pressurization check
HU/PCRS software work
SSFR sensor calibrations
Did not accomplish Ku dish acquisition of satellite (fiber cable and dish travel issues)
1/5 Plans:
HU/PCRS software work
Work on Ku system issues (in hangar)
1/3 Accomplishments:
GWAS canisters installed
SSFR sensors installed
HU/PCRS fans and connector removed
Zone 25 fairing fit check
Aircraft weight and balance (cg within required limits!)
Aircraft fueled and weighed
1/4 Plans:
Aircraft pressurization check (early a.m.)
HU/PCRS software work
SSFR sensor calibrations
Acquire satellite from Ku dish on the Remote Antenna Group (RAG) on the hill overlooking DFRC
1/2 Accomplishments:
CPL installed
NOAA water vapor installed
UCATS installed (plumbing to be connected later)
1/3 Plans:
Install GWAS canisters
Install SSFR sensors
Remove HU/PCRS fans and associated connector (due to fairing interference)
Perform fuel empty weight and balance
Fuel aircraft
Perform fuel full weight and balance
12/19 Accomplishments:
Performed iridium communications tests between aircraft and GHOC
Identified a couple of problems (Not seeing UCATS in the GHOC, HU/PCRS commands were showing up at the a/c but the a/c was not responding)
12/20 Plans:
Start Christmas shopping
Return to DFRC on 1/2
12/18 Accomplishments:
DLH, Mini-DOAS, FCDP, HU/PCRS installed
Mini-DOAS performed on aircraft alignment
Preparations for outdoor iridium test on 12/19
12/19 Plans:
Perform outdoor iridium test with all instruments present installed on the aircraft (tentative start time 7:30)
Head for home
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