Preparation for M1 Work: June 3, 1998

With great determination, the telescope crew (French Leger/UW, Larry Fiscelli/UC, Jon Davis and Mark Klaene from APO, and assistance from Angie Prosapio, Steve Bastian, and Jim Annis from FNL) pulled together (or was that pulled apart!), preparing the M1 for future work. By the end of the day their goal was to be down to the corrector plate.

Captions preceed pictures

The doors are opened on a breezy morning. The telescope assembly is horizontal.

Larry (and Mark's hand) reapply the protective Tyvek across the mirror cell.

The end of the wind baffle (with radiation shield) is shown, as well as the secondary mirror support assembly.

French prepares the spreader to hoist the wind baffle.

Jim steps in to lend a hand with the hoist controls to guide the spreader over the wind baffle.

Jon and Larry remove more of the wind baffle panels to apply lift straps. The quick-release screws came in very handy.

The wind baffle is hoisted, and as the building is moved eastward, the crew walks the wind baffle off the pier.

The wind screen as it sits off the pier. Whew!

Walking the spreader back to remove the weights and then the secondary support. The afternoon winds are up.

The weights are removed, one from each side at a time. Very heavy and not for the faint-hearted.

French doing the rotator hustle! The weights come off--one-two.

The secondary mirror support assembly eats French, as he walks it out off the pier. (dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum)

With the secondary support assembly and wind screen disassembled off the pier, the crew finishes preparing the M1 for future work down to the corrector plate.