| Date: | 1999-05-19 09:02:00 | |
| Sender: | Miriam Baltuck via ILRS Central Bureau <[Mailed Mike Pearlman <mpearlman@cfa.harvard.edu>]> | |
| Subject: | [SLR-Mail] No. 321: Orroral Satellite Laser Ranging Facility Packs Up | |
| Author: | Miriam Baltuck via ILRS Central Bureau | |
| Content: | ******************************************************************************** SLR Electronic Mail 1999-05-19 09:02:00 UTC Message No. 321 ******************************************************************************** Author: Miriam Baltuck via ILRS Central Bureau Subject: Orroral Satellite Laser Ranging Facility Packs Up Subject: Orroral Satellite Laser Ranging Facility Packs Up for Early morning on May 11th a crane, a bulldozer, and two flatbed trucks made their way up the steep 13 km dirt road to the Orroral Geodetic Observatory. The bulldozer was there to provide additional brakes to the crane for the trip back downhill. In less than eight hours NASA´s satellite laser ranging (SLR) equipment provided on long term loan to the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group was hauled up through the roof of the domed observatory and secured to the two trucks. It was the end of an era: although SLR results from Ororral Geodetic Observatory (OGO) were consistently in the top ten stations around the globe since the 1970´s, the nearby new SLR facility on Mt. Stromlo carries on this high level of performance from an all-Australian AUSLIG facility at a significantly lower operational cost. Many of the significant components of the NASA equipment will be used in laser light propulsion R&D under direction of Project Manager Sandy Kirkendall (Marshall Space Flight Center). The OGO crew documented equipment teardown to facilitate its reconstruction in its new location of use at White Sands. The equipment will be stored in a nearby warehouse pending MSFC´s decision on mode of shipment to the US. > > > > > > > > > Dr. Michael R. Pearlman > Harvard-Smithsonian > Center for Astrophysics > 60 Garden St. > Cambridge MA 02138 > tel. (617) 495-7481 > fax. (617) 495-7105 > e-mail. mpearlman@cfa.harvard.edu > Dr. Michael R. Pearlman Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 60 Garden St. Cambridge MA 02138 tel. (617) 495-7481 fax. (617) 495-7105 e-mail. mpearlman@cfa.harvard.edu [Mailed From: ”Mike Pearlman” ******************************************************************************** |