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Aug 11, 2005 -
Aaargghhh!!! I've lost my helium!!
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.
But for me, sadly, this is the end of the road.
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