Wide Field Camera 3
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Project Updates 2003

December

The Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) and Crew Systems Office supported meetings at JSC for Return-to-Flight efforts for future EVA enhancements (such as rigid handrails, soft handrails, and foot restraints).

Vacuum acquisition on the WFC3 flight infrared detector has been successfully completed. The detector has successfully undergone continuity and warm functional testing.

The WFC3 infrared flight detector baffle and shield were aligned, detector continuity testing was completed, and the detector housing assembly has successfully passed vacuum leak testing. The detector process flow is continuing.

November

The WFC3 flight Ultraviolet Visible (UVIS) detector #1 Pre-ship Review was successfully completed at Ball Aerospace.

The WFC3 development program completed a significant milestone with the successful execution of the initial functional test of the fully integrated instrument. Both the Infrared and Ultraviolet Visible channels, utilizing the surrogate detectors, produced quality images.

The WFC3 UVIS flight detector 1 has completed its final functional test and alignment check.

October

Functional testing of the WFC3 UVIS flight spare detector was successfully completed.

The WFC3 flight Infrared detector wire weld repair has been completed. All of the other wire welds were visually inspected under magnification.

September

The WFC3 flight Ultraviolet Visible (UVIS) detector #1 Pre-ship Review was successfully completed at Ball Aerospace.

The WFC3 development program completed a significant milestone with the successful execution of the initial functional test of the fully integrated instrument. Both the Infrared and Ultraviolet Visible channels, utilizing the surrogate detectors, produced quality images.

The WFC3 UVIS flight detector 1 has completed its final functional test and alignment check.

August

The WFC3 UVIS flight detector 1 is undergoing its final thermal testing. After thermal testing is completed, functional testing will be performed, followed by post-vibe alignment verification.

The WFC3 UVIS Gas Charge Heat Pipe thermal vacuum testing has commenced. Testing ran through the week.

The WFC3 flight UVIS detector assembly has been aligned and staked and is undergoing functional testing.

July

WFC3 UVIS Flight Detector has completed 3 of 4 planned thermal cycles without issue. The final cycle is scheduled for this week.

The WFC3 Infrared (IR) flight detector ghost baffles were successfully assembled and aligned on the IR detector assembly.

The WFC3 Ultra-violet Visible (UVIS) flight detector assembly is undergoing thermal cycling at Ball. Alignment activities will continue after completion of thermal cycling.

June

WFC3 post vibration encircled energy testing has been successfully completed. Preliminary analysis of the results shows that both channels are well within their alignment budgets.

The WFC3 Optical Assembly has been installed in the Radial Instrument Alignment Fixture and post vibration Encircled Energy testing has begun on the UVIS channel.

May

The WFC3 Science Oversight Committee (SOC) met Thursday at the STScI. The SOC was pleased with the progress of the instrument and commended the WFC3 team's performance.

The WFC3 Optical Assembly was reinstalled into the Flight Enclosure in preparation for post vibration encircled energy testing.

The flight WFC3 UVIS Detector Assembly 1 has been reassembled following repair of the 2-stage thermo electric cooler to S-strap interface.

Main electronic boxes (MEB) 1 and 2, the blind mate connector, the low voltage power supply (LVPS), the remote interface units and expander units, detector electronics filters, 4 heater controllers, the MEB heat pipes, and the radiator trusses have all been installed onto the flight enclosure.

April

Optical testing of the WFC3 at GSFC is continuing. During this testing, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has obtained more than 3,000 images with both the UVIS and IR channels of WFC3. The STScI has also performed quick look analysis and has started a more detailed analysis of the data. The data will provide a pre-vibration test baseline for the WFC3 configuration and will be used to derive the best focus of both channels.

The WFC3 flight CCD Electronics Box (CEB) and the calibration lamp assembly have both successfully completed vibration testing.

The WFC3 Science Oversight Committee approved Infrared (IR) detector Focal Plane Assembly 64 for use. The detector was hand carried to Ball this week to begin integration into the first flight IR detector assembly.

March

The first images from the IR channel were taken and the first set of IR phase retrieval images has been successfully completed.

Life testing on the WFC3 Engineering Unit IR Filter Wheel assembly has successfully completed its first life cycle, which is equivalent to the number of operations that it would see over its expected lifetime.

February

The WFC3 Pick Off Mirror (POM) was installed onto the WFC3 Optical Assembly

Recently delivered WFC3 Infrared detectors have demonstrated significantly superior results compared to previous lots.

The WFC3 Optical Assembly was removed and reinstalled in the flight enclosure to verify repeatability prior to vibration testing.

January

Metrology of the WFC3 optical assembly installed within the flight enclosure has been completed.

the WFC3 Flight Thermo-Electric Coolers for IR Electronics (TECFIRE) units have successfully completed vibration testing and bake-out.

The WFC3 flight Pick-Off Mirror (POM) has been received at GSFC from Ball, and has successfully undergone receiving inspection.

The WFC3 Optical Assembly has successfully completed post delivery inspection, mass properties measurement, and has been installed into the enclosure.