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GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

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17 JULY 2004—MISSION UPDATE: DAY 88At just under 3 months in orbit, <strong>Gravity</strong> <strong>Probe</strong> B is nearing the end ofthe Initialization and Orbit Checkout (IOC) phase of the mission. Thespacecraft remains in excellent health, and all subsystems arecontinuing to perform well. All four gyros are digitally suspended,with gyros #2 and #4 spinning at science mission speed—greater than80Hz (4,800 rpm)—and gyros #1 and #3 spinning at approximately 1.5Hz (90 rpm), ready for full-speed spin-up. The updated drag-freethruster control software that was uploaded to the spacecraft threeweeks ago to optimize performance of the Attitude and TranslationControl system (ATC) is continuing to perform nominally. Thespacecraft’s roll rate is 0.52 rpm, and the science telescope is being relockedonto the guide star, IM Pegasi, following the full-speed spin-upof gyro #2 yesterday.This past Tuesday, July 13th, <strong>Gravity</strong> <strong>Probe</strong> B achieved a majormilestone with the successful spin-up of gyro #4 to a science-readyspeed of 105.8 Hz (6,348 rpm). Second to the launch, the full-speedspin-up of the gyros has been the next most long-awaited event in thehistory of <strong>GP</strong>-B. Members of the team were very attentive at theirstations in the Mission Operations Center (MOC) here at <strong>Stanford</strong> for3 hours and broke into applause when the final announcementboomed over the MOC intercom that the gyro #4 full spin-up hadbeen completed successfully.Yesterday, July 16th, gyro #2 underwent the same spin-up procedure,reaching a final spin rate of 87 Hz (5,220 rpm). Spinning up the gyrosto science-ready speed is a complex and dynamic operation thatexercises the full capabilities of the Gyro Suspension System (GSS) andrequires a high level of concentration and coordination on the part ofthe <strong>GP</strong>-B Team. Following is an overview of the process.First, commands are sent to the GSS to move the gyro rotor (sphere)very close to the spin-up channel (about 1/100th of the edge of a sheetof paper) in one half of the gyro’s housing. Ultra-pure (99.99999%)helium gas is streamed from the Gas Management Assembly (GMA),mounted in a bay on the spacecraft frame, through tubing that entersthe “top hat” (the thermal interface at the top of the <strong>Probe</strong>) and travelsdown to the gyro housings in the Science Instrument Assembly (SIA)at the bottom of the <strong>Probe</strong>. As the helium gas descends into the <strong>Probe</strong>,which is at a temperature of approximately 1.8 Kelvin, the gas coolsdown from 273 Kelvin to around 12 Kelvin.Before entering the spin-up channel in one of the gyro housings, thegas is passed through a combination filter/heater. The filter, which ismade of sintered titanium, removes any impurities that may have beenimparted to the helium on its journey into the <strong>Probe</strong>. The heaterenables the helium to be warmed slightly, which increases its adhesionto the ultra-smooth surface of the gyro rotor. The filtered and warmedhelium then passes through the spin-up channel in one half of the gyrohousing, and most of the gas evacuates into space through an exhaustsystem. However, some of the helium leaks into the housings of theother gyros, causing their spin rates to decrease up to 20% over a fullspin-up period of 2-3 hours.480 March 2007 Appendix C — Weekly Chronicle of the <strong>GP</strong>-B Mission

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