Things had been so going well until about two weeks ago. After my
first test with the on-board X-ray source, I rested for a while,
and then the NASA folks wanted me to take some more calibration data.
Before I knew it, there was gas from the liquid helium where it
shouldn't have been. I gave the NASA folks my temperature readings
to let them know what was going on. They devised a way to get rid
of it, which seemed to work OK. But it happened again, and they
used their fix again.
But on Sunday it happened twice more. There was enough build-up of
the helium gas outside the helium tank that it effectively put
the liquid helium (at 1.3 kelvin) directly in contact with the solid
neon (at 17 kelvin), which is pretty warm compared to the helium. Then
I watched as the liquid helium boiled away. That was the worst
few minutes of my life!!! I can't operate without the liquid
helium.
Everyone back home is so disappointed. Both the Japanese and the
Americans will work on figuring out what went wrong. But they said
they are really proud of what I did, and they learned so much. And I
had such a great time - I got to see so much, and the scientists,
engineers, and technicians both
back home in the U.S. and in Japan were great to work with.
The Suzaku mission will continue with its
other instruments,
and they'll continue to run some of my electronics for as long
as they can. And the other instruments will do some great science.
So I hope you'll be watching for it.
Today they turned on my refrigerator, which got me down
to 60 millikelvin, and then had me look at the artificial
source of X-rays that I brought along. I saw them just
fine. Because I talk with people in Japan only once an
orbit, my NASA friends did have to wait about 90 minutes
before they could see the data. But I'm working as good
up here as I did during all those tests I went through on
the ground. I heard alot of cheers in the background as
they looked at the data I sent down to them. Everyone is
really happy - probably happier than when we launched!
How can X-rays be "artificial"? Ok, they're real x-rays,
but not from a source in the sky. They're from a little
radioactive source that they included with me for just this
purpose. It emits X-rays at a specific energy.
It's safe, and allows everyone to make sure that I'm working
properly.
Now I have to stare at this source for a few days! Hopefully
I'll start looking at objects in the sky next week.
July 22, 2005 -
Well, they're done adjusting the orbit. I'm now in a nearly circular
orbit at an altitude of about 565 km. Right where they wanted me to
be.
My NASA friends continue to set my operating parameters and electronic
thresholds in preparation to operate my fancy
refrigerator (which gets
me down to 60 millikelvin). They turned on the magnets for a short
time yesterday. So far so good. They'll operate the fridge fully
some time next week.
Everything the astronauts say about looking down on the Earth
is true. Going around the earth once every 90 minutes or so, it
goes by kind of quick. But it's very beautiful, and never quite
the same from one orbit to the next.
But of course, we didn't come up here to look down. We came here
to look up! After they get done with turning everything on and
testing (of course!), that's what we'll be doing.
Oh - if you want to get up early in the morning to see me in
the sky, here are some opportunities in the next few days:
DATE
TIME (EDT)
ELEVATION ABOVE HORIZON
July 24
4:28 AM
23 degrees
July 26
4:43 AM
24 degrees
July 28
4:57 AM
21 degrees
It might not be easy, since I'll pass only about 20 degrees above your
southern horizon. But I'll wave as I go by!
July 12, 2005 -
We just keep moving right along. I thought they wouldn't extend
the optical bench for another week, but they did it today! The
spacecraft mechanical engineers said it was "perfect." But of
course!
Juli also sent up a few commands to me to turn on some of
my electronics. I heard it loud and clear. So I'm
ready whenever they are to look start looking at some objects.
(Guess that still won't be for a while.)
Juli also sent some really cool information about our new name,
Suzaku. In the 7th century, the Japanese emperors built capital
cities modeled on Chinese cities. This included gates at the North,
South, East and West entrances. Each of these gates is guarded by a
deity. Suzaku is the guardian of the South gate, and to the Japanese
became a leading deity in that time.
Here's the Japanese for Suzaku:
It's also the right color red!
In addition, Suzaku governs the southern part of the sky. And I'll be
looking at some really important objects (like the Virgo Galaxy
Cluster) in that part of the sky.
There I am, on my way! The launch photos are awesome. But you know
what's even cooler? You can watch the launch in a QuickTime video (about
1.8MB)! The video is really cool -- you get to see what it looks like
from the ground, the sky, and even a special view from the rocket. Yeah,
they mounted a camera up here with me! I call it the "XRS-eye
view."
I can't believe how fast everything happens during launch. When the
countdown got to zero, the first stage of the rocket ignited and I was up,
up, and away! That only lasted 75 seconds, until the second stage ignited
and the first stage separated (you can see that in the video). A few
minutes after that, the nose fairing opened up and I came out! I was on
the ground and four minutes later I'm out in space, headed into orbit.
Incredible.
So everything is going great up here! So good, that some things have
happened ahead of schedule! Right after launch I run on battery power,
and they're not supposed to deploy the solar panels for a couple days.
But that happened during our second orbit.
A few hours after launch, I learned the new name for our mission. No
longer are we Astro-E2 - now we are Suzaku! It's named after an Asian
god which has the form a bird. It is the guardian of the South and a
symbol of renewal. It is also red, which is a color for celebration!
And boy has there been a lot of celebration! The team members at the
launch were so excited to see me launch and make my first orbit... I hear
that there was a lot of cheering and a big press conference. And back at
Goddard, over 100 of my friends got together to watch the launch live
(though a special webcast) and celebrate over there. Two parties, just
for me! You can see a picture below of part of the team in Japan after
launch -- look at those grins!
GSFC Team
(Some of the people I've talked about are in the picture. Juli
is on the far right. Scott - remember he made the trip to Japan with me -
is kneeling on the left. Kevin is kneeling in the center. Rich
Kelley, who is the scientist in charge of the whole project - my Dad,
so to speak - is on the far left. And Caroline Kilborne - who was in
charge of building me - is standing behind Kevin.)
It'll be quiet for the next few days. Mostly the spacecraft people
will work to perfect the orbit. And in about a week they'll extend
the "optical bench". This will put the mirrors at the right distance
from me so the x-rays will be focused perfectly. I won't take my
first observation for about another three weeks. Until then, I guess
I'll enjoy the view!
Up, up, and away! I got off the ground at 12:30 PM JST... and I'm on my
way into orbit. I'm too excited to be scared. This is unbelievably
cool.
The weather at the end of the week was really ugly, and everyone was
worried that there would be more delays. But it didn't look too bad, so
they went ahead and gave the "GO" for launch. They finished pumping the
helium dewar in the evening and then sealed off the valves. I'm
cold!
The first team members came and woke me up around 1 o'clock this morning
(no sleeping in on launch day) so they could check on the dewar one more
time and do one last test. Then they sealed up the access holes and
turned on the air conditioner to keep me cool up here on the tower. And
that's when things got really exciting!
The whole launch sequence is really complicated and hard to remember, but
there are some cool parts. They started working with all of the computer
systems that make the launch work properly (for me and the rocket). Then
the rocket team rotated the launcher into position and tilted the rocket
to aim me for the proper flight into orbit. And then I just got to wait
while they warmed up the gyros, prepped the rocket, and got things into
place for launch! I was so nervous... it felt like I was sitting there
forever, just waiting. It didn't help that they kept checking the weather
all day and making decisions about whether I'd actually get launched.
Talk about anxiety!
But the weather looked good, and suddenly it was pretty much time to go.
The signal system for launch is neat -- they put out a yellow flag here
this morning, and then changed it to a red flag 30 minutes before the
launch and played a really loud alert siren at the same time. These
signals are all to warn ships and aircraft that we're about to launch, and
the Japanese police and coast guard also help out with keeping the area
clear. Then 3 minutes before launch, they sent up some special fireworks
to make sure everyone knew that it was time to get out of the way! I
didn't even notice. They started the rocket timer at 50 seconds...
ready... set... liftoff!
I'm glad they made me go through all of those vibration tests and spin
tests and everything, because I don't think I ever realized how it would
actually be going up on that rocket. So noisy and bumpy! But I'm sealed
in here, snug and safe and sound, headed off onto an adventure I've only
dreamed about.
It'll still be a few weeks before I start observing... they've got some
tests (they don't even end with launch) and things to set up. And
Astro-E2 will get a new name -- it's Japanese tradition to rename the
satellite after launch, and the new name is a secret until then. But I've
heard that they've already come up with candidate names, so it's only a
matter of time before I know what it is!
July 7, 2005 -
The bad weather continues, and is predicted to go on for a few more
days. So the next launch attempt will be on Sundy July 10 (11:30 PM
EDT on July 9). You can view the launch on the web by going to
http://en.jaxa.tv/. The page is in
English, but the commentary during the launch probably won't be. But,
hey,
"san ... ni ... ichi ... uchiage"
should be obvious!
Sunday is far enough away that the Goddard team will come and top off
my helium tank in the next day or two. Gotta launch with as much
liquid helium as possible, so I can last as long as possible once in
space. There aren't any gas stations I can stop at once I'm up there!
A view from Kimotsuki-cho
Kevin sent me this picture taken from the town near the launch site.
You can see the antennas up on the ridge above town. The town used to
be called Uchinoura, but it merged with its neighbor at the
beginning of the month. Now its called Kimotsuki-cho. At least it
knows its new name. I have to wait until I get into orbit to learn
mine!
July 6, 2005 -
Well, it looks like the launch will have to wait a little longer. After
last week was so warm and sunny, a storm blew in just when we needed a
clear day! Rats.
Here's a picture from today. The white spot over the water is the
weather balloon that they sent up to check the winds. It swirled up
and down alot!
Last night they had a meeting and decided that the weather wasn't great,
but not too bad, so they gave a "GO" for the launch preparations.
So everyone got up early this morning to go through the countdown
procedures. But they kept meeting all day, and decided around 8:45 AM
that the weather wasn't going to work for launch. The forecast
doesn't look good for tommorow, so they'll try again on Friday (let's
see, that's Thursday night for EDT in the U.S.). In
the mean time, the Goddard folks will be monitoring the amount of
liquid Helium in my tank to make sure it doesn't need to be topped of
before then. (I think they'll also be catching up on sleep!)
Don't worry... I'll be launching soon! We still have another 9
days that could be launch day. And then another couple of weeks at
the end of the month. See, they're prepared for this!
July 5, 2005 -
They're still pumping down my helium. Just one more day to go. I can't
believe it... it's taken so long to get here, and I'm about to go up into
space. I can't wait to start looking at all of the things they want me to
see, like black holes and active galaxies and other cool stuff. I've
looked at x-rays on Earth, but I can only imagine how incredible it'll be
in space.
As soon as the cryo team is done with my helium dewar, they'll pull out
the plumbing and the rocket team can bolt the cover over that access hole.
Then I'll be sealed up and ready to roll for launch. They'll be closing
all of the other access holes they have on the rocket for other
preparations (sometimes I forget that I'm not the only thing on board that
needs to get ready for launch).
Here's another look down from the 8th floor of the launch tower. You can
see the turntable and all of the equipment on the launch pad. And there's
a small white box at the edge of the concrete area, which is a camera that
will track me during launch.
I got this cool photo of the launch tower. When it's time to launch, I'll
be rotated out of that blue and white door. You can tell exactly where
I'll launch -- check out the damage to that concrete flame deflector! My
rocket will blast it and it'll get even more scorched. I also got a
close-up of the giant turntable that will rotate the rocket into
position... it even says Astro-E2!
July 4, 2005 -
To all my friends in the US, Happy Fourth of July!
We're getting really close to launch here, and the final preparations are
being made. One of the last things that has to be done before I go into
space is topping off my dewar full of helium. It's getting chilly -- that
helium is 1.3 Kelvin (just over a degree warmer than absolute zero).
Since the helium is the outermost layer of the three stages keeping me
cold (helium, then neon, then a special refrigerator), it's really
important that the helium lasts a long time. Once the helium is gone, I
won't be cold enough to see x-rays anymore.
So today, the cryogenics team spent six hours adding more helium to the
dewar. It's about 90% full, which should give me three cold years to look
at x-rays. Now they're pumping on the tank to get it ready for launch.
Once the pumping is done, they can seal up the openings in the nose
fairing and on we go with the launch countdown!
This is a photo of the team that's topping off the helium. They're up on
the 8th floor of the launch tower, where I am. They go in through that
small hole in the nose fairing. I also go this picture of the cover for
the hole -- it sure does take a lot of bolts to hold that onto the
rocket!
July 3, 2005 -
They woke me up before 2 o'clock this morning to start the launch
rehearsal. I thought I'd be sleepy, but I was wide awake as soon as
everything got started. I don't think anyone could sleep through a rocket
launch, even just a rehearsal. There's so much going on, from the rocket
to the launch area to the control room. The real thing will be just about
the same... just much noisier and more nervous!
The team moved through everything as if it were the real launch. They did
a couple of tests and disconnected things. I got rolled back out of the
launch tower and then they went through the launch sequence. Everything
went smoothly, and I was mock "launched" by early afternoon. Then we all
went to get some sleep, because it had been a very long morning. But now
they have practiced the launch and everyone is feeling good about the real
deal!
Here's a photo of the launch pad at sunrise. It's so pretty because we're
right on the Pacific Ocean. And Scott took this great photo of the launch
pad from one of the antennae -- I'm rolled out for rehearsal and you can
see how cool it is out here.
July 2, 2005 -
Another rest day... the rocket team is working today, but I don't have any
tests or practices. I think all of my friends are glad about this,
because we're going to have to get up before dawn tomorrow to start our
launch rehearsal! I don't think they're all morning people, especially
when they're still dealing with jet lag and long hours of pre-launch work.
So I figure it's worth it if I get to sleep in today, right?
The town of Uchinoura brought us a gift today. It's a tradition -- they
brought a gift of many origami paper cranes to Inoue-sensei, who is the
project manager for the whole mission. You can see the townspeople with
the gift below. I also got another group photo to share. Here I am with
several members of the team, from Japan and the US. It's really fun to be
here with such a big team.
July 1, 2005 -
The time has come to practice everything... rolling the rocket out,
turning things off and on, and getting everything ready for launch.
Today, the excitement was the practice rollout of the rocket. That was
pretty cool! Since it's been hot here, they've got an air conditioner to
keep me cold out on the launch pad. So they rolled me out, checked
communications between me and the antennae around the launch pad, tested
the air conditioner, and practiced removing it like they will before the
launch. Then they turned everything off and started taking pictures.
I'm a star!
Tomorrow, the rocket team will be testing the ignition system. That's
gonna be loud! They'll be doing the launch rehearsal over the
weekend, too. It used to be test after test, and now it's practice after
practice!
Everyone is still hoping for our good weather to last... if you wanna see
what it's like here, you can check
the weather forecast here. But it's really hard to predict the
weather! We're all waiting to see how things look for all of the
rehearsals and the big day.
Oh yeah, and my photos! I've got one of the rollout. There I am up top!
Then I got a group shot with some of my Goddard buddies -- Kevin, Juli,
Rich, and Gary. Where do I get one of those cool hard hats?
June 30, 2005 -
More friends in town! Kevin and Rich got here today, just in time for the
first test since the rocket was all put together. Everything looks great,
and the weather is still warm and clear. I can tell that everyone is
really excited about launch. It's not just me!
And check out this photo -- they're wishing us luck from way way
down under! One of my friends is down in Antarctica right now, so now she
knows all about being cold all the time. It's kind of funny... she's
sending warm wishes from a very cold place to a very cold detector in a
warm part of Japan!
June 29, 2005 -
I'm ONE WEEK away from the launch window! I can't quite believe I'm here,
I keep expecting to wake up back at Goddard and find out it was just a
dream. It's just so exciting! More of my old friends from Goddard are on
their way here for the launch, and everything is just slipping into place.
The weather has even been nice. So far, so good -- keep your fingers (and
toes) crossed for me!
The team is cooling down my Neon dewar right now, so they can get me nice
and cold and do their next tests. Things are getting so close! We've
even made the news in Japan. Not the front page... but maybe next
week!
June 28, 2005 -
They're doing a lot of work with the electrical and plumbing stuff today,
to get ready for the final tests and launch preparations. I got a photo
of Ochi-san and Yoshida-san putting some of the plumbing in place that
will cool down the Neon in one of the dewars around me. That white curved
thing is the nose fairing outside of me, and they just go in through that
little hole and keep the dewars full. That's one of the holes that the
rocket techs will close up before launch.
While all of this is getting done, I've got some time to myself. It's
probably the last break I'll have before launch! I saw the schedule
they've got planned for me, and it's a doozy. I've got more tests (it's
always more tests), cooldown, and final positioning for launch. We even
have a rehearsal for launch, so everything will go smoothly on the actual
day. I think I'll take a nap while I still can!
June 27, 2005 -
Guess where I am! I'm out on the launch pad! We now have a complete
M-V-6 rocket. The weather was really nice today, so the rocket team got
the "GO" to move everything out to the pad and finish putting the rocket
together. It's really neat how everything gets put together in pieces and
then assembled at the end. Sort of like Legos.
They protected me with a big cover and then moved me out to the launch
tower. The team used this huge crane (called a Goliath Crane) to push me
out there, then the tower had its own crane to lift me up.
I have some great photos of all of the stuff that happened today. The
first two are from the move, and you can see how giant everything
is! Then I have a photo of the view down from here... so glad I'm not
scared of heights! But it's a great view of the water and everything.
June 25, 2005 -
The sun came back out, which makes everyone happy. We need good weather
to have a launch! They're finishing up with the encapsulation and I'm
inside the nose cone, safe and sound. I'll spend another night or two
here, and then they'll move me out to the launch pad. It's so close, I
can feel it!
They're still doing all of these tests to make sure I'm working right.
Everything's getting closer to the big day, so the tests become more
important. Here's a photo of the nose fairing (the part I'm riding in)
just after they removed all of the metal slings that had been holding it.
There are still some holes for access to various things... like my liquid
Helium tank, which will have to be topped off before launch. They'll
cover the holes after that.
The rocket team will be doing most of the work tomorrow, getting me ready
for the big move out to the pad on Monday. Everyone hope for good
weather!
June 22, 2005 -
It's official! Everything has been checked and we're cleared for a
launch on July 6!
A couple days ago they attached me to the 3rd stage rocket motor.
And today, after waiting through a 3-hour thunderstorm, we got
"encapsulated" into the nose-cone of the rocket. It's exciting, but
Wow, I realized it's the last time I'll actually "see" my friends.
Everyone has worked so hard to get me here. My NASA friends have
always been making sure that I'm operating properly, and my Japanese
friends have always made sure I'm comfortable on the spacecraft. It's
been great fun, and I've learned so much.
Even though I won't see them, I know they'll still be out there.
There's always one more check they want to make!
Check out the cool photo taken just before they closed up the nose cone!
June 2, 2005 -
Okay, now I understand about this "rainy season" thing. It's been
raining hard since about 11PM last night, and looks to keep dumping
on us all day. This explains the 2-foot deep ditches beside all the
roads.
Bad news! Now they've delayed the first possible launch date to July 6.
That rots. Something about swapping out the nozzle at the bottom of
the 3rd stage
rocket. Well, since I'll be strapped to that stage, I guess I'd
rather play it safe. Still, it's just that much more rain to wait
through. Not that it rains in my clean room, but still. Depressing.
June 1, 2005 -
There sure are a lot of people buzzing around And all because of me!
More rocket people arrive each day. Today we had a dry run for the
rehearsal of the launch. I think we should have practiced for the
dry run, myself. Actually, the rehearsal will be fun. That's on
Saturday.
May 31, 2005 -
Just finished another 2-day test. Nobody trusts me to take
care of myself. It was just a long truck ride, not like I was being
launched into space or something. Although with all those sharp turns
on the road I was beginning to feel a little green around the solar
panels, I must admit. Oh well, it was nice to cool down and see some
x-rays again. And of course I passed the test just fine, like there
was any chance I wouldn't.
May 26, 2005 -
We're here! We arrived safely at the launch site. Here's a picture
of us being unloaded from the truck.
I don't know why everyone says its so hot and rainy here; the weather
is perfect! Upper 70s and sunny. This is going to be fun!
Thanks to the folks at ISAS/JAXA for the picture of us pulling into
the launch site.
The Launch Tower
Oh - here's a picture taken from one of the test
buildings looking down on the launch tower.
May 24, 2005 -
"Mata Ugoiteiru" (OK, OK, that's as close as I can get to "On the Road Again!")
Yipee - we're on our way to the launch site! We made our stop at
Tsukuba Space Center (outside of Tokyo). There they took a final
weight measurement and spin test (one more time - around and around we
go!). Everything checked out fine - of course!
Then they packed us up and put us on a big truck for a trip down
to the Uchinoura Space Center, where the launch site is. It's in
the south of Kyushu island, and it'll take a couple days to get down
there.
Here's a picture of us leaving, and a map to show where we're going.
May 19, 2005 -
I'm bummed out! Today they were supposed to announce my launch date.
But instead we have a launch window. So we'll launch either between
June 26 and July 15, or between July 22 and Aug 2. I guess there's a
few more things they need to check out. They're planning on
announcing the launch date around June 9.
May 12, 2005 -
Now that we're actually getting closer to launch (woo-hoo!), things are
getting busy again. There's a lot of excitement in the air as we move
into the final stages of putting everything together and testing it. I
know, it seems like they're always testing something! Imagine being in my
shoes.
Today they're testing the solar paddles, which will collect the Sun's
light and keep me running. I get a big inspection tomorrow, then they'll
make me cold again and ship me off to Tsukuba next week. I get another
adventure!
At Tsukuba, they'll be spin-balancing me -- I have to be perfectly aligned
for launch! They measure the "moment of inertia" - I think this means
they make sure I don't wobble!
April 7, 2005 -
Launch simulation totally owns! We ran through two fake launches today,
including all of what will happen when I really go up. It's getting
exciting. They had a couple problems with the automatic procedure the
first time, but all of my stuff worked just right! I guess that's why
they do these simulations, huh? Gotta make sure everything works before
the real thing.
I'm getting psyched for liftoff! I sure wish they'd tell me a real launch
date; I'm getting tired of waiting. All they'll say right now is "late
June." Sigh.
April 6, 2005 -
Boy, did that take a long time. Those guys were here until 2AM, making me
run through all kinds of tests, and even trying out a little change to
some of my software. They say it's a fix they want to have ready just in
case my temperature controller goes out of whack in orbit. Like that's
gonna happen! Seems like a waste of time to me, but everybody seems to be
fixated on making sure everything works.
Overnight they took away the source of X-rays I was looking at all day,
and made me stare at darkness. Don't tell anyone, but it never looks
completely dark to me! A couple times a minute I see a really bright
flash. They said that's from cosmic rays that just happen to go through
me and into my detectors. It's kind of annoying, but it's pretty easy to
tell the cosmic rays from the real X-rays. Everyone says there'll be a
lot more cosmic rays (they call them "background") in orbit, without the
atmosphere to protect me, but they still wanted to measure how much it
happens down here. Whatever.
April 5, 2005 -
Wow, did I sleep that long? It sure is good to wake up and see my friends
from the US again. Everyone's back here!
Yesterday they cooled my liquid helium back down to 1.2 Kelvin. They
do this alot. They hook up my helium tank to a vacuum pump, and pump
out any gas that may be in the tank. This creates a vacuum, which
lowers the pressure. This lower pressure lowers the boiling point.
(This is just like how water boils at a temperature less than
100 C on a high mountain top - it's because of the lower atmospheric
pressure.) About half of the liquid helium boils away in the process,
but what's left is at a lower temperature.
Anyway, they're running the same tests they did back in
December. What, do they think I'm turning into a geezer or something?
Of course I can still see X-rays, just as well as I could then. Well, I
guess they had to be sure, and it is good to be running again.
December 15, 2004 -
Today I got my marching orders! The US scientists and the Japanese
scientists in charge of the Astro-E2 mission met here last week to
finalize the list of objects that I'll be looking at once I get into
space. It's a combination of objects that were proposed by American
astronomers and by Japanese astronomers separately. The meeting last
week was to sort out what to do if two astronomers from separate
countries had proposed to look at the same object. They decide
whether just one astronomer should have the data, or whether the two
astronomers should work on it together.
Here's
a link to the list. It gives the name of the object, its location
in the sky (by Right Ascension and Declination), the length of the
observation (in thousands of seconds), the number of observations, and
the name of the astronomer who proposed to look at it. First item on
the list is the Andromeda Galaxy! Unfortunately, I have to wait about
7 months after launch before I start looking at these. But I'll have
enough to do in those first 7 months.
Don't forget that American students can also propose objects for me to look
at.
October 28, 2004 -
Well, I'm pretty bummed out today. I just found out that my launch has
been delayed until next summer, instead of at the beginning of the year.
Everyone is disappointed, but there is one good thing that comes out of
this -- we don't have to work straight through Christmas!
So this will mean more waiting, but it does give us all more time to get
ready for launch. And maybe more time for karaoke, too!
October 26, 2004 -
We're now in the middle of doing vibration tests on the entire
satellite. I've been through so many of them so far (they do them at
just about every stage to make sure that everything will hold up
in space), I thought I
knew exactly what to expect. Same old thing,
right? But it's actually a very neat experience to do a vibration
test now that I'm on the satellite!
Now that I'm on board, they're shaking everything -- me,
the telescopes, the other instruments, and all of the
framework and coverings around us. It's like a flight
simulation, because these tests are giving me a taste
of what it'll feel like to be launched into space on
the rocket. I'm snug and comfortable in here. Things
are looking good!
Here's the set-up of the vibration test for the satellite
October 25, 2004 -
Today they did a slow spin test of the satellite. This is to make
sure the satellite doesn't wobble. They're testing the location of
the center of mass, and they want to make sure it's along the axis of
the satellite. So they put me up on this giant turntable (like a
record player), and spin me slowly. It's like being at an amusement
park on the world's slowest carousel. But it sounds like I'll get a
faster spin test soon, and I'll be dizzy for a few hours!
Here's a movie of my slow spin test. Now you can see what the
satellitelooks like from all sides, and how big it is. I'm in
the exposed panel (silver in color) - you can see me pretty
well at the end of the movie.
October 22, 2004 -
I've heard that my friends in the United States have chosen
the objects that I'll be looking at after I get into space.
Over this past summer, American astronomers wrote proposals
for what they wanted me to look at. They have to specify the
object and the reasons for looking at it. Sometimes different
astronomers want to observe the same object. So in order to
get chosen, an astronomer has to write a well-written proposal,
and give good reasons why their proposal should be picked to
observe the object. There were 160 proposals, so there was
lots of competition.
Just yesterday another group of astronomers finished the job of
reading those proposals and deciding which objects to look at.
That list of objects isn't available now. That's because the Japanese
astronomers have done the same thing. In December the Americans and
Japenese scientists on the Astro-E2 Science Working Group will merge these two lists.
I heard that American students can also propose objects for me to look
at.
Check this out!
September 30, 2004 -
I'm in the spotlight today! We tested my solar paddles (the big solar
panels that will get power for everything from the Sun), so they turned on
a giant bank of lights to shine on them. It makes the room so bright!
It makes me glad that I've got all of that stuff around me to keep me cold
-- all of that light feels really hot. I can only imagine what it will be
like to face the Sun out there in space.
September 28, 2004 -
More good news! Back at SHI, there was some vibration coming from the
mechanical cooler (the part that keep the neon cold for an extra-long time
while I'm up in space). The team was worried that it would affect me.
But here at ISAS, the vibration seems to be totally gone. They made some
changes in wiring and stuff, so that probably fixed it.
I've really learned a lot about spaceflight missions, and it's a huge
adventure. There are so many people and places and pieces of equipment,
and it all comes together in the end. Things don't always go perfectly,
but the people working on the mission come up with some really clever ways
to make things work.
September 25, 2004 -
Now that I'm on the spacecraft, there's a whole new battery of tests for
the team to put me through! To be honest, sometimes I get tired of all of
the tests. But I also know that this is the last round -- I'm on the
spacecraft, they'll put me through these final checks, and then I'll be
ready to go into space. It all feels so close now... when I started this
journal, it seemed like I wouldn't be going into space for so long. And
now I'm just months away. Crazy, huh?
Today the gang was really excited to find out that things are checking out
okay. They'd been worried about my momentum wheels, which are used to
rotate the spacecraft. You see, these four wheels spin at a constant
speed to keep the spacecraft pointed in the right direction. To rotate
the spacecraft, they slow down or speed up one or more of the wheels.
Then, in order to conserve the total angular momentum, the spacecraft
rotates in the opposite direction of the change in rotation of the wheels.
It's a cool physics trick. Anyway, the team checked them out, and
everything looks good.
September 10, 2004 -
WOOHOO!! I'm finally on my spacecraft! They woke me up early this
morning, because we all knew it would be a long and exciting day. My
spacecraft had been sitting just down the hall for weeks now, and I
was getting so impatient to hop on board. But today was the day.
They put me on first, and then they put on the frame for the
telescopes. It's called an 'optical bench', but it doesn't look like
a bench at all. It's the framework that will keep everything aligned,
so that I can see all of the cool stuff from the telescopes when I'm
up in space.
Soon they'll be adding the other instruments and telescopes and
hardware. But for the moment, this is my ride. I've been waiting
for this day for ages.
August 26, 2004 -
All my tests are done (at least for now), and the Goddard
team is packing up. They make as much commotion leaving as they did
coming! But I know they'll be back.
At least Japan beat Canada in baseball for the Bronze medal!
August 25, 2004 -
We did the last vibration test this morning. This was the z
axis - i.e. up and down. It not only vibrates, but there's also a
"thurst" test. So this is like getting a kick in the pants!
But everything still checked out, so I'm ready for the next step.
Good thing I'm not afraid of heights!
Here's a picture of me being moved after the vibration tests. The
view was pretty good, but I was afraid they were going to do a drop
test!
I guess all this is not unlike how astronauts have to train for space
flight. They have to go through all these physicals and make sure
they can tolerate the launch. I have to go through the same thing.
All of this is to make sure that I work when I get into space. Alot
of people are counting on me!
Now everyone is disappointed (not with me, fortunately). Japan's
baseball team in the Olympic
tournament lost to Australia in the semi-final game. So the best
they can get now is bronze.
August 24, 2004 - Everything from yesterday's vibration test
checked out. So today we did another one.
Here's the set-up for the vibration test
Each day they do a test along a different axis: x,
y, or z. Yesterday
they did x and today they did y. So today's was alot like
yesterday's. They sit me in a "jig" that they put on the vibration
table. They first put the jig on the table and shake the jig without
me in it. This is to make sure the jig holds together. Then they put
me in the jig and I take my little ride.
Julie gave me this picture of me on the shaker table.
August 23, 2004 -
Everyone came in excited today. Mizuki Noguchi won the Women's
Marathon in the Olympics yesterday. Everyone's proud (and a little
relieved!) that Japanese women have one it two Olympics in a row.
They're also talking about the Japanese baseball team - they're tied
with Cuba for first place after the preliminary round and everyone
expects they'll play Cuba in the finals.
Today I had the first of three days of vibration tests. This was about
at 1/2 of the strength of the shaking that takes place during launch.
And it lasts only 30 seconds. But, believe me, its a long
30 seconds! The vibration table with me on it makes a lot of noise,
and everyone puts on big earmuffs to protect their ears. Then
afterwards there's lots of checking - they check the electronics and
the data from sensors that they attach to the dewar. They make sure
things still work, and that things have not shifted inside the dewar.
(The engineers have a very clever way of doing this - they look for
changes in the various frequencies of vibration that they expect.)
Actually, I don't feel so good! At least I know I'll get a good night
sleep tonight. Worse part is knowing I have two more days of this!
August 21, 2004 -
I arrived at ISAS today. That's the Japanese Space Agency outside of
Tokyo. It was another long truck trip, so I'm glad I'm here. Here's
a map.
It's great to be here, since this is where the spacecraft is. In
fact, I'm now in the same room as the spacecraft. The room is bigger
than when I was at SHI in Niihama, and there's more people around.
The only thing I'm a little nervous about is that I have to go through
another vibration test. This one will simulate some of the shaking
that will occur during launch. It will make sure the dewar and I have been
put together strongly enough. I've been through enough vibration tests
on my own back at Goddard, but these tests still make me nervous. If
something breaks, it's alot harder to fix now.
August 15, 2004 -
After all of the excitement, things are totally quiet again. It's sort of
freaky! SHI is closed and everyone has gone home to celebrate Obon, which
is a big Japanese holiday where people celebrate their ancestors.
Everything is closed, not just the lab -- all of the factories and
business are dark and silent, too.
Things will be quiet for a few more days, until the holiday is over. I
get a little time to myself, to rest and relax and think about my
"ancestors" (like Astro-E). Maybe I'll catch up on my reading. But when
everyone gets back, it's time to leave!
August 10, 2004 -
My days here at SHI are quickly coming to an end... it's almost time for
another big trip! Once all of the calibration and testing gets done here,
they'll pack me up in another big box and take me on a truck ride to my
new home across Japan. I'm pretty excited, but not about spending 20
hours in a truck. I hope we get a few rest stops.
The main reason I'm moving this time is really awesome -- I'm moving into
the same place that they're working on my spacecraft. I feel like I've
been waiting for this forever! I've seen pictures, and everyone
says it's going to be a really cool satellite, but I can't wait to see it
for myself.
So I'm really excited about moving... but I'm going to miss all of the
friends I've made here at SHI in the last six months. I'm sure they'll
come and visit, but I'm a little sad that I won't get to see them every
day.
August 5, 2004 -
They're still giving me my physical. Today the Japanese team spent a
while taking my temperature. They want to check all of my internal
thermometers and the gauge that determines how much helium is left in my
dewar (which, in turn, will tell them how much longer I'll be cold enough
to see x-rays).
The Goddard team is more interested in how I respond to changes in my
environment. They're watching me very carefully to see what these changes
will do, but not much can phase me after all of the tests they've been
putting me through!
I think this all must be a lot like what astronauts go through before they
can go into space. They have to go through lots of doctor appointments
and tests, and then they experience simulations of what it'll be like to
be in space. NASA sends the astronauts to all sorts of training (like
underwater training, wilderness survival, and airplane rides in
low-gravity) to see how they will do in different conditions. I'm doing
the same stuff before they can send me to space -- they've sent me to
Japan and given me all sorts of tests and experiences!
August 2, 2004 -
The typhoon has passed, leaving everything as it was... just wet!
Things are busy around the clock here -- during the day, there are
Japanese technicians working on the dewar, and then at night the Goddard
team is collecting data. And I thought it stunk when I was bored!
There's no time to relax when there's so much to do. But it's nice to
have company, and all of the people running around. I'm the center of
attention! They're still doing a lot of tests and taking some sample
data, and everything looks fine.
July 31, 2004 -
Everyone here is a little anxious because there's a typhoon coming.
Typhoon #10 (they don't give them names in Japan) will bring some really
wicked rain and winds. But I survived Hurricane Isabel back at Goddard
last fall... I doubt this typhoon can be any worse! Still, they're making
sure that everything will be safe from the wind and water, just in case.
Here's the set-up for the shaker test
The really exciting thing today was a "shaker test" -- they shook me at a
whole bunch of different frequencies to see how I'd react. The spacecraft
will vibrate when it moves around up in space, and the team wants to make
sure that I'll be okay and able to take really good data. It's kind of
fun, but it gave me a headache after a while. I'm all shook up!
Here's a picture of the shaker test. I'm on the left, and the motor
that does the shaking is on the right. The rod connects the motor to
me. So as the motor spins, I shake. Wheeee!
Wish me luck with the typhoon... I'm thinking dry thoughts.
July 29, 2004 -
I've been looking at these same x-ray lines for a few days now. They just
tweak something here and there to see if it affects me. I'm staring at
them for nearly all day, with only about an hour break when they need to
run the ADR to cycle the temperature. It gets a bit tedious, but I
remember a wise man saying, "Tedium and solitude are the inseparable
companions of scholarship." At least I'm not in solitude - I always have
good company.
But I'm almost done with this stuff -- on to bigger and better things!
Or at least different things...
July 27, 2004 -
Everyone seems pretty happy with how things are working, so most of my
time is just spent looking at different x-rays to check out what I can
see. They have all of these different set-ups for making the x-rays. I
bet space will be a lot more exciting, since I'll actually be looking at
black holes and galaxies and stuff instead of some x-rays made in a little
device... but it is pretty cool to be able to see this stuff that human
eyes can't see at all.
I got some photos of one of the set-ups for making x-rays in the lab.
They have a lot of fancy names for the equipment, but this is basically
how it works: a bunch of electrons are shot at a bit of metal, and x-rays
are produced. These are moved through a vacuum chamber (called a "bell
jar"), and through a special target that sends them to me. So in the
photo, you can see where the x-rays are made and how they make it down to
me so I can see them. In the second picture, you can even see one of the
cool images of what I saw!
July 23, 2004 -
I'm still getting checked out. They're testing my vision, opening and
closing valves, turning things on and off... basically, they making sure
that everything is working together properly. So whenever they change
something, they ask me to look at some x-rays and tell them what I see.
One of the most important parts of all of these tests is to simulate what
it will be like when I'm in space. So they want everything cold and
working just like it will on the satellite. Then they can be sure that
things will be okay when I'm in orbit, and have some idea of what sort of
data I'll be sending back to Earth.
Everything seems to be checking out okay... the scientists are happy, the
engineers are running out of problems to solve, so life is good here!
July 22, 2004 -
Today they ran the mechanical cooler that's attached to
the innermost ring of the neon dewar. It's like a little
refridgerator that helps keep the neon cold. It extends the life of
the neon. The longer the neon lasts, the longer I'm able to operate!
But since this is a mechanical cooler, it vibrates a little when it's
on. So we need to see how I operate while it's running. They turned it on
with me cold for the first time today. So far so good, but more
extensive tests will follow.
July 21, 2004 -
Juli sent over this great picture today. She and my buddy Kevin are at
ISAS installing and testing the electronic boxes on the spacecraft.
They're testing the power generation of the spacecraft solar panels with
simulated sunlight. These are megawatt lamps! Awesome!
Today they changed over to the "RTS" calibration system. This
provides a whole bunch of x-ray lines for me to see. So now I'm
looking at x-rays ranging from 2 keV to 12 kev. I should be able to
see below 2 kev, but they'll test for that later.
July 20, 2004 -
What a great day! I'm looking at the world through X-ray glasses!
My detectors are finally cold again, so I can see X-rays for the first
time since I got here. I got down to 60 millikelvin, and they put a
radioactive iron source in front of me, and I saw it! The iron source
puts out X-rays with an energy of 5.9 keV, which is in one of the prime
energy ranges I'm designed to look at. So after this long trip and all
that I've been through, everything is still working well. See, I knew I
was fine.
Unfortunately, now comes the poking and proding. They want to see if I
can keep operating under a small range of temperatures, and with other
things going on. They also want to measure my eyesight reeeeeeeeally
carefully.
Oh yeah, what's a keV? It's the energy required to move 1000
electrons through 1 volt. What? That doesn't mean anything? OK,
It's 1.6 x 10-16 Joules. A 100-mile per hour fastball
has an energy of 143 J. So 1 Kev isn't much, is it. But astronomers
use keV to measure energy in the em spectrum. So 1 keV is about 1
Angstrom, ie near the low end of the x-ray portion of the spectrum.
(I learned something spending time with all these scientists!)
July 18, 2004 -
I'm full of helium. It feels good to be cold again. Sure is hot in
Niihama. At least I didn't have to join in the softball game. My
Goddard friends sent me this photo of Tom Bialas getting a good hit,
but I have a feeling it was about the only one they got. It was way
too hot for me to join in, so I'm glad I had to stay here cooling down
(plus I don't have arms!). And I heard it was dangerous; my team had 3
injuries, which is the same as the number of runs they got. I think
the Japanese team here at SHI had 11 runs. How embarrassing!
Anyway, back here in the clean room they've also put some neon in the neon
tank, so now my helium will last a lot longer. Tomorrow they'll start
pumping on the helium tank so we can get down to my operating
temperature of 60 millikelvin. Then on Monday they'll actually start
running the detectors for the first time since I got to
Japan. Woo-hoo!
July 16, 2004 -
Still going full blast. Everybody's been busting their butts to get
things ready for my grand cooldown. They had to check out all the stuff
they're gonna attach to me. Apparently they're totally freaked about what
would happen if they did something to hurt me. I'm not a total wimp,
guys!
But they've checked all the electronics, and my "housekeeping"
sensors. Housekeeping? What am I, a janitor? No actually, it's
cool, they just have these thermometers stuck all over various parts
of me, so they can keep track of my internal temperatures. They have
a special box (which they call the
"ACHE"
... ugh) for measuring
those. Wish they wouldn't call the temperatures "housekeeping", tho.
Now they're putting liquid helium in! This is like the start of a wicked
roller coaster, when you're going up the first slope. Nothing's really
happening yet, but you're on the way like it or not. Good thing I like
roller coasters. 60 millikelvin, here I come!
July 15, 2004 -
Like 5 million people from Goddard got back here yesterday. Okay, not 5
million, just 9, but the clean room is still abuzz with activity.
They're here to start cooling me down and making sure all my detectors
work. Last I saw they were trying to open a tool chest that got jammed in
shipping. Let's see, how many Ph.D. scientists does it take to open a
drawer? *heh*
Man, there sure are lots of people hanging around me. Guess they want
me to look my best for the cooldown. Being center of attention totally owns!
July 10, 2004 -
Today I saw the list of the first objects that I'll be looking at once
I get into space. There's a group of scientists from Japan and the
United States that make up the Astro-E2 Science Working Group. This
group has drawn up a list of objects that they want me to look at
during the first 7 months I'm in orbit. These are objects they want
to make sure I have a chance to look at, and objects that will help to
complete my calibration. Here's the list.
There's supernova remnants, active galaxies, black holes (like Cygnus
X-1), and unusual stars. Lots of great stuff! I'm even going to get
to help follow up gamma ray bursts observed by the
Swift mission!
June 18, 2004 -
The long pump down continues. The Goddard team is done here for
now and has left. Juli is at ISAS (the Japanese Space Agency facility outside
of Tokyo) where they are are beginning the steps for putting the
electronic boxes on the spacecraft. These electronic boxes control the
various cooling stages for me, and take the data I generate while
observing. But before that, various wiring harnesses are installed
and checked.
So things will be quiet here again until about mid-July, when most of
the Goddard team will come back to perform tests on me, and actually
install the electronic boxes on the spacecraft.
Oh, before he left, Rich Kelley, who is in charge of the Goddard team,
gave me this picture. It's the satellite that will take me into
space! The people in the picture are getting it ready while people
here are getting me ready. I'll be put on it later this summer.
June 14, 2004 -
Well, I've been pumping down for a couple days now. They hooked up
all the vacuum hoses to the neon dewar and starting pumping the air
out. They did it real slow, taking about six hours to get down to a
pressure of 1 Torr. Atmospheric pressure is 760 Torr, so it's not a
bad vacuum. They do this because the filters are very delicate, and
pumping down too fast could break them. Then they just
keep pumping to get as much water vapor out as they can. Scott warned
me this will take a while - like a month!
But they did the first leak check today. It was pretty elaborate as
they checked various parts of the dewar. They had to make a few minor
adjustments, but everything looks OK.
June 11, 2004 -
No one told me I'd have to do gymnastics! Today the team made me
stand on my head while they installed the set of filters on top
of the neon dewar. Scott said they do it this way so that in
case they drop one, it will just fall back into the technician's
hand, instead of inside the dewar (where they wouldn't be able to
get to it).
They have a special tool to install them. They put a filter on top of
this tool and reach inside the aperture cyclinder they installed a
couple days ago. Then they turn it, and the filter drops into place
with a click.
But it all went very smoothly, and it only tickled a little.
Next step is to pump down the neon dewar, and start checking for any
leaks. I'm keeping
my fingers crossed!
Here I am upside-down, with Charlie
Fleetwood ready
to install one of the filters.
June 9, 2004 -
Today they installed the aperture cylinder. This sits in a hole above
me in the neon dewar. This cylinder keeps water vapor that's in the
thermal blankets from getting onto the filters. It's about the size
of a soda can, and has baffles in it to keep the water from going from
the warm outside to the colder inside. The cylinder gets installed first,
and in a couple days they'll install the filters inside it.
June 7, 2004 -
They're back! My friends from Goddard are back here this week! We had
lots of catching up to do. I had to let them know that my Japanese hosts
have been taking good care of me. My friend from Goddard, Juli, said
everything back home was good, but noisy. The cicadas are out for their
once every 17 year bug-fest. I'm not sure whether I'm glad I missed it or
not!
So the big job this week is to install the filters. These filters
help protect me from the warm environment of the satellite and from
space (Yes - I'm colder than space!). So they block infraredradiation. They also block ultravioletlight that comes from the earth
once I'm up in orbit. This way, I'll see only x-rays. Today, they
inspected the filters and the special tools they use to install them.
Everything checked out.
May 14, 2004 -
Sorry I haven't written for a while. The Japenese team here is
continuing to build up layers on the neon dewar. It's tedious, but
they are very careful workers and want to get it done right.
Here's a picture of what I look like now.
April 28, 2004 - Everyone said
"Sayonara, mata isshuukango ni."
Everyone is going on vacation! Tomorrow starts "Golden Week" when
there are 4 national holidays. The first is Greenery Day, a
national holiday devoted to nature (it used to an emperor's
birthday). May 3 is "Constitution Day" which celebrates the new
Japanese constitution after WWII. Kind of sounds like July 4 - I
wonder if they have parades? And May 5 is "Children's Day", but
it's actually for boys (girls got their day in March). Amidst all
this there's Kite Flying festivals, Flower festivals etc.
But my favorite is May 4 - "Between Day." They figured out that it's
no good going to work the day between two holidays. So they make that
one a holiday too!
Many people travel, but more stay home and relax. I guess that's what
I'll do!
April 14, 2004 - Things have been progressing slow but sure
here. The Japanese are putting on more layers of thermal blankets and
lids. All of this will help keep the neon cold (at 17 K), which will keep my
liquid helium cold (at 1.3 K), which will keep me cold.
Living in another culture is funny. The world you grow up in all seems
so natural that you really don't notice those ordinary everyday things
that go on around you. Going to another country really is starting a
new life. You notice the little things people around are doing,
because the people back home don't do those things!
Like using chopsticks or bowing as a way of saying hello. From my
Japanese friends, I'm learning about Japanese traditions.
There's one American tradition I'm glad I don't have to worry about
today. I don't have to do my income taxes!
April 2, 2004 - Scott and the Goddard team started leaving
today. Their work here is done for the time being.
For the next month or so, the Japanese will finish constructing the
neon dewar around me. Scott has assured me that I'm in good hands.
March 31, 2004 - Today they put my top on! They call it a neon
shield, but it looks like a top for a wedding cake - it's flat and
round. That is, if you're used to putting metal shields on top of your
wedding cakes! Now I'm secure in the neon dewar.
March 29, 2004 - Today we did an alignment check. This is to
find out exactly where I am in the neon dewar and in what direction I'm
pointing. Later, they'll use this to make sure that I'm lined up
properly on the satellite. Otherwise, I won't be able to see
everything I'm supposed to.
They put this shiny ball on top of me, and set up alignment cubes on
the dewar. Then they set up these
fancy instruments called theodolites to measure exactly where the ball
is in relation to the cubes. I learned that a theodolite is a type of
telescope that you look through to measure angles. They use them in
surveying, navigation, and astronomy. By measuring the angles, you
can figure out where something is. So they took a bunch of
measurements from different areas of the room. I tried not to move!
It's some pretty complicated arithmetic (probably
involves trig!), and there was a bit of waiting around. But we got
a big thumbs up!
Here I am with 3 of the theodolites (the instruments, not the people!)
Peering through a theodolite to take a measurement of my sphere!
March 25, 2004 - Now with the leak test done, I'm back up to
regular atmospheric pressure and temperature. Now its time for more
checks. Lots of conversation, not all of which I'm getting. Scott
translates when necessary. I try,
"Mouichido, yukkuri itte kudasai" -
sometimes it works!
March 22, 2004 - Today they replaced my cover with one the
Japanese made. The big project was to pump down the neon dewar and
check to make sure it didn't leak with me in it. We didn't start that
until late, and it took about 6 hours. Scott stayed up with me until
about 2 AM. But no leaks. So I'm in here good and tight!
March 19, 2004 - Today was a big day! They hoisted me up on a
crane and inserted me into the neon dewar which has been waiting here
for me. The neon dewar will help keep me cold.
Everyone put on their "bunny suits" and their masks. Then they attached
me to the crane and then positioned me over the dewar (it's just this
big tank with a hole in it).
Then they slowly lowered me in. Nobody
seemed nervous about whether I'd be too big or too small. You'd think
that since this is the first time we've seen each other there'd be
problems. But no, we fit like a glove!
Everyone was really excited when the job was done. They even went off and
had a little party! I was a little mad that I didn't get to go, but
it was cool to have a little time to myself after being so busy. Man,
I'm going to have to stop making comments about things being "cool"
now because everything is going to be "cool."
March 16, 2004 -
I'm getting cleaned now - one thing that is definitely the same in
America and Japan is the attention to cleanliness. Everyone works
very hard to keep me free of dust and dirt and stuff. They wear
special hooded suits, plus shoe covers, masks, and gloves. The
Americans call them "bunny suits." It's
always a little freaky to see everyone dressed like this. They
look sort of like aliens, and it's hard to tell everyone apart
when they're covered up like that.
March 15, 2004 -
I've recovered a bit from my long trip. Here's a map of where I am in
Japan. I flew into Tokyo, and then took another truck to Niihama.
I'm now at Sumitoma Heavy Industrys (SHI for short) where the neon dewar is waiting.
They piled me in with all that dry ice for the trip, and now we have
to wait around for it to melt. OK, OK, I know it doesn't really melt
- it "sublimates" ! It's neat to watch it shrink away into
nothing but vapors. Reminds me of Halloween.
So I'm warming up slowly but surely. I should have packed shorts!
The team hopes that I'll be back to room temperature
tomorrow, so they can start checking me out and getting me ready for
the next step.
March 13, 2004 -
OK, now I'm messed up. I don't know what day it is! We crossed the
international date line, and we gain a day?
My first international flight ... and I didn't even get to fly first
class! I was hoping for an in-flight movie and some peanuts, but no
such luck. Just me and my dry ice. But I did have more time to
practice my Japanese. I'll look really slick when I show off to my
new friends.
I wonder what Japan will be like. I've heard so much, like people
take their shoes off when they enter a building. I guess I'm in luck
since I don't wear shoes. And the food is totally different - they
eat with chopsticks instead of forks. I'm a little freaked out by the
idea of sushi (raw fish!!!), but everyone says its cool.
It was really foggy flying into Tokyo's Narita Airport. We circled
for a while, but when our fuel was getting low, the pilot made a bee
line for the Haneda airport nearby. He refueled and then we flew back.
Since I was the first in, I thought I'd be the last one out. But they
popped open the nose of the plane, and I was first out! FIFO - cool!
And there were my Japanese hosts to greet me! Omeni kakarete ureshii desu!
My Japanese hosts.
I should have slept more on the plane. I'm tired, but there's so much
to do. Can I have a nap?
March 12, 2004 - So today they wake me up with this music from a 1960's group:
"I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again."
What's that all about? Actually, I won't ever be back.
They wheel me out to the plane. It's HUGE! I'm the first one on, and
they put me right up front. Then there's a bunch of other cargo boxes
that get placed next to me. We start chatting - I start making
friends. We're checking out each other's stickers. They're jealous
because I'm from
