SDO Weekly Report for April 2, 2004

The SDO Project Management team is focusing on the next steps in the
Confirmation Review process, while the technical team carries on the
march to CDR. The Level 1 requirements have received a final review, and
are being put into the GSFC signature cycle.  The inputs to the IRT ICE
have been completed, and the Project is working with RAO on its estimate.
The Project expects to receive an initial report from the IRT next week.

Mission Assurance completed updates to the SDO SOW template for
subsystem procurements. This approach should ease the legal review of SDO
procurement documentation because of the high degree of standardization
across procurements.  Traceability of requirements is also made simpler.
Additionally, a Work Order Authorization meeting was held to review and
discuss the proposed SDO WOA draft.

Spacecraft development continued to progress, with particular emphasis on
completing breadboards and initiating procurements.  The SDN breadboards
are in fabrication, the Ka-Band SSPA breadboard #2 is in assembly, and
the SPN PCC ETU is in layout.  Layout has also been initiated for the
GCE breadboards.  Ka-Band Modulator breadboard testing was completed,
and testing and troubleshooting continues with the SSPA breadboard.
Vendor responses were received from the RSDO RFIs for the Star Tracker.
The SBC Draft RFP has been released.  The Mechanical team is looking
at the impacts of increasing the Payload Adaptor Fitting interface
ring to avoid Main Engine interference and accommodate the Delta IV.
A radiation test of the Atmel 1355 ASIC at speed was completed; results
indicate that the 3-port Atmel ASIC is acceptable for use by SDO and
further testing is not required.  The Project held their monthly Project
Review with all spacecraft PDLs to review progress in budget and schedule.

The instrument contract situation is in good shape.  The EVE contract
through Phase E was signed this week and is in place; the HMI proposal
for consolidation of the CCD flight procurements and HMI/AIA electronics
parts buys is due early next week; and the technical evaluation of the AIA
proposal for the balance of the Lockheed Martin AIA efforts is in process.
We still need to generate the change HMI and AIA contract change language
to allow consolidation of the HMI and AIA science operations centers
(SOC's) into a single operations center.  There is much operational
commonality that makes this an economical decision for SDO.

On the CCD development front, the thin-gate and thick gate batch runs for
the development 4k x 4k CCD's have been completed.  Several devices have
been package and one device has been delivered from e2v (the CCD vendor)
to Rutherford Appleton Labs (RAL) for initial functional testing with
the RAL development CCD readout electronics.  RAL will integrate the
evaluation 4kx4k CCD into the SECCHI camera next week for performance
testing with the SECCHI Waveform Generator ASIC.  Delivery schedules for
the e2v development CCDs to HMI for HMI evaluation testing were finalized.
The 3 CCD's will be delivered to the U.S. and the first will be delivered
April 26.  e2v continues to process candidate devices through their
functional test station including image characterization at ambient and
moderately cooled conditions.  Image samples from these tests have been
provided to the HMI team.

The HMI team received quotations from vendors on the front window and
blocking filter, and selected Andover Corporation for the blocking filter.
Andover Corporation and REO Incorporated were chosen to fabricate
samples of the front window for further assessment by the HMI team.
The HMI life test shutters successfully completed a post vibration
functional test and are schedule to begin life testing next week after
thermal testing is completed.  In addition, the HMI team is working on
a proposal for the inclusion of AIA CCDs, Camera Electronics Boxes, and
EEE parts procurement on the HMI contract.  The proposal is expected to
be received by the project next week.


Over the past week, AIA continued its fast paced PDR preparations:
Thermal, Mechanisms, Guide Telescope, Telescope Assemblies, Software,
and Electronics peer reviews were held, with only I&T (4/2) and Image
Stabilization System remaining.  The AIA team also held several internal
reviews and working groups in preparation for PDR; most notable were
several contamination reviews.  The telescope optical baseline was
finished including the definition of the internal baffles.  The AIA
Phase C/D/E proposal evaluation continues.

The EVE team visited USC to discuss progress on the ESP, fine tune
schedules and audit new clean room and assembly areas.  Mike Anfinson,
the EVE Project Manager,  reports that they are in good shape.  The USC
team will be at LASP to finalize the ESP to MEGS interfaces this month.
SDN delivery delays from SDO have been relayed to LASP.  The latest
projection is for delivery in late May or early June.  Gail Tate is
reviewing the impact to EVE schedules.


Several ground system team members met at WFF to discuss Ka-band 'lessons
learned' and reputations/heritage of various Ka-band antenna suppliers.
Work began on the upcoming Ground System PDR with final PDR package being
requested by Code 300 by 14 April.  The ground system Scheduler began
work on converting the present milestone/rollup schedule into a PERT
schedule similar to the spacecraft's schedule format.  MOMS contractor
job postings for two FOT/I&T Test Conductors also started this week
with the intent of having these two conductors in place by 1 May.
Several ground system team members also attend a Project Management
Training Course at the University of Maryland on 30-31 March.