SMARTSCOPE News Flash: Thursday July 18, 2002

The Pier Tube

The BIG sonotube is in place, around the 9-foot-high cage of reinforcing steel bars. It took 4 people to maneuver the tube into place.

The rebar cage (left) under construction.

The position of the final effort, marked in orange (right) "BULLSEYE" marks the spot for the BIG tube. Now how do we get that thing UP 9 feet in the air, then STRAIGHT down over the rebar cage??

Thanks to MIGHTY TIM, we did it!

The overall picture this morning (left), after bracing the tube against backfilling and strong winds.  The Smartscope mission is nearing launch time. The payload bay has been shrouded for security reasons. Mission cabling can be seen in several places on the ground.

This page last modified: July 18, 2002