It has been some time since I, Mathias, wrote anything here. But now that we are working on finishing the experiment for our Experiment Acceptance Review (EAR)- after which it will be shipped away to Germany for the Integration Week- we thought it would be appropriate. As I have the primary role of project manager, I have not had as much interesting subjects to write about as some of the other team members. I can however give an insight into the upcoming activities of the team.
In about a month we will have our EAR. At that point our experiment should be complete and ready for the tests and simulations it will be put through before launch. After the EAR, the two main events before the launch are the Integration Week and the Bench Test.
At the Integration Week, the experiments flying on our rocket will be tested together for the first time. In addition to this, tests will be performed with the REXUS Service Module Simulator. Finally, our experiment will undergo vibration testing.
At the Bench Test, all experiments will be tested together with the Rocket flight systems. Following that, the launch campaign will finally take place. The REXUS/BEXUS programme recently posted pictures from the last BEXUS campaign. They are definitely worth checking out at https://twitter.com/REXUSBEXUS .
Andreas calibrating the magnetometers
So, what are we doing to prepare the experiment?
Recently, part of the team went to the Geological Survey of Sweden to calibrate our magnetometers as you can see in the picture above. We still have some tests to complete. There will be a vibration test for the boom soon and we are still working on the 3-axis Attitude Determination and Control System tests. There will however be some time before that is completed. Stay tuned to our outreach channels for the vibration testing. I can promise that the team is shaking with excitement for this one. Additionally, there are a lot of minor action items for us to complete as required by the REXUS/BEXUS team.
In summary we have a lot of work to do before our EAR on the 5th of November. It is exciting being so close to the end of the project, especially after the one-year delay of the launch. I would like to take this chance to thank all past and present team members who have helped with the project.
Mathias
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