The radiation sheilds and internal dewar supports are suspended by a crane over the dewar prior to being installed for a mechanical test fit of all the components. Ken Hinkle is shown with the Phoenix dewar. The stepper motors and closed cycle refigerators have been installed on the outside of the dewar. Inside the dewar, the mounting surface for the foreoptics can be seen. The cabling visible in the dewar is for the wheel position sensors and the temperature sensors.
Phoenix now appears on the telescope schedule.
1 April is the first night on a telescope, but no data will be taken. This 24 hour block on the 2.1-m is to check the mechanical fit of the instrument and mechanical interface units to the telescope. We will try out all the handling equipment, connect all the required cables and cooler lines, and exercise as many functions of the instrument as are possible without having the instrument cold. For the Phoenix test fit night we will learn how to get Phoenix on the telescope in the required time. Extensive laboratory testing will be taking place in April after the mechanical fit run.