EGAD

Program Notes

Spent the evening in a conference call discussing a thermal management scheme for our payload's gondola that almost certainly violates the first, second, and possibly third laws of thermodynamics. Typically by factors suspiciously close to two. It turns out that if you put black things in a vacuum and then leave them in direct sunlight for a couple of weeks, we expect them to get somewhat toasty. And they said space was cold.

A heads-up for the regular readers: expect light-to-nonexistent posting this weekend. I will be kicking back in the Sinai, where I do not expect an overabundance of network access. Seeing as the beaches of the Red Sea are supposed to be particularly nice this time of year, I don't forsee all that much motivation to go find a cybercafe, either. Tomorrow afternoon I'm going out to pick up sunscreen and a snorkel.

Next week will be short, then. After getting back from Egypt on Monday, I head off to the States on Thursday. Astronomy folks should keep an eye out for me Friday. I'm still working out my plans for Chicago, but if anyone has a particular yen to put me up the following Monday or Tuesday, drop me a line.