A couple of weeks ago we performed a HAT (Harbor Acceptance Test) at the dock on Refshaleøen near our workshop. The test went well, there were some corrections and additions to the test plan and there were a few minor software bugs. Everything will be fixed before the next test. The purpose of these test actually is to find and correct bugs and errors before the real launch.
We spent the complete Saturday mounting Nexø II on Sputnik, setting up mission control on Bolette and testing connection and communication between rocket and mission control.
Saturday, when we were done for the day we started a grill on Bolette’s aft deck and ate a well-deserved meal.
On Sunday we went through the entire checklist, firmly guided by flight director Mortensen and Pad leader Jacob. It all culminated in a cloud of nitrogen that was blasted out in the harbor basin at “lift off”.
Illus: Jesper Rosendal, CS
Below is a small time-lapse video of the rise of Nexø II on Sputnik at HAT.
In the coming weekend, we will do the whole exercise again, but with the difference that we will sail out in Øresund this time and perform the test there. That’s what we call SAT (Sea acceptance test). This is the most realistic way we can simulate a launch. The ships will move under people’s feet, transport between ships will be done by RIB boat and you cannot just go to the workshop to pick up something you’ve forgotten … It will also be a test of the radio communication between the ships with a more realistic distance. And a test of connection to land. All in all, it will be the a very thorough test of the launch of Nexø II before we sail everything to Bornholm for the real launch, later this summer.
The weather is as always, an uncertainty. If it gets so bad that we have to cancel, we have set aside the following weekend as a back-up test weekend. Fortunately, the weather forecast seems to get better the closer we get to the weekend.
At the SAT it will also be the first time we try out our new RIB boat, which were donated to us by DSC. The RIB arrives at Refshale Island late Friday evening, and then we will use Saturday to get to know it before we take it to the test on Sunday. In this regard, I would like to thank all of you who have contributed to the fundraising. We are incredibly happy and grateful for all the extra donations we got for the boat.
