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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center



Astrophysics Science Division | Sciences and Exploration

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XRS-2 PhotosLTTO and Launch →Installing the Shorting Plugs

Ochi-san, standing on a short platform, bends at the waist to receive the 3 cm cylindrical plug from Juli, looking stunning in her yellow hard hat. (84K JPEG)

After removing our dewar temperature readout cables, the last thing we do is install shorting plugs in the connectors where the cables were plugged in. (This is to protect the instrument from electric charge, which could build up from the ionized oxygen in low earth orbit). Here Juli Lander is inspecting one of the shorting plugs before handing it to Yumiki Ochi, who will reach through the hole to install it. Notice the lanyard attached to Ochi-san, to prevent the possibility of dropping the shorting plug inside the nose fairing.


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Goddard