While HWS was starting their work in HAM4, they discovered that they needed the FirstContact removed from the SR2 and SR3 optics. After bantering about possible other work arounds or schedule rearrangements, we decide we needed the access to HAM5 immediately. (The major schedule contributor being that many people, Apollo included, are not here the rest of the week and HWS crew leaves at the end of the week.) So, Bubba is pulling the crew together to get the door off and we're collecting FC removal tools.
I locked the front and back face stops of SR2, and using the top gun ioniser pulled the first contact off the HR face. Unfortunately there is still a little bit of the alignment layer left behind in around the 2pm position, but its out of the beam path and we will get it when we do close up first contacting. Ive unlocked the face stops and though havent done any TFs to see if its free, I am 99.9% sure that i have it right (I should have after all the hundreds of times I have locked and unlocked these things)
In terms of SR3, once the south door comes off, I will half lock the ISI, lock the front and back face stops of the SR3 optic, pull the first contact, and then release the optic and of course the ISI as well
I want to say a MASSIVE thankyou to Betsy and the Apollo guys for scrambling last minute for us so that we can continue with our work and hopefully complete before Aidan and I leave at the end of this week.
Ditto that thanks.