Integration at Vandenberg Space Force Base! (E. Atz, Aug. 12, 2021)

Last week, CuPID was integrated into the flight deployer and ESPA ring at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc CA. The team hand carried CuPID over commercial airline to LA, and then via rental car to Lompoc. Integration went smoothly, there were no problems with cleanliness checks, travel, or the integration activity. CuPID now waits, inhibited, inside its deployer as the assembly is mated to Landsat-9 and mounted onto the rocket for launch!

A NASA cleanliness team visits the BU lab to perform a visual inspection of the satellite, as well as take tape lift samples and no-volatile residue samples for cleanliness verification.

From top left, clockwise, Emil, Connor, Brian and Roue pose with CuPID on its last day at BU.

After traveling across the country, CuPID gets checked for damage, and software is given a final once over. Most importantly, CuPID is set to communicate over the radio, not ethernet!

Unfortunately, photos from the integration event are for not cleared for public release at this time.

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