Joint operations started in earnest on 13 December when Boeing moved the DIRECTV 12 satellite into Hall 101 and mated the SC to the adapter. The next day, the SC/Adapter was mated to the Breeze-M and then encapsulated in the Payload Fairing (PLF) on 15 December. With much of the satellite-centric work completed, 19 Boeing personnel departed Baikonur to return home for the launch activities. We celebrated the encapsulation of the PLF by having a Spaghetti and Meatballs night, with the ILS Program Director providing the cooking. We are happy to report that all participants survived his first attempt at cooking in Baikonur!
21 Dec 2009