Waiting for the Robert E. Lee

Short news from the front line:
Our "baby" sleeps quietly in the clean room, nicely attended by the reduced team which staid at CSG.  MICE keeps on blowing cooled air on the two batteries that are periodically recharged. Nothing exciting but everything goes fine so far.

During this phase of the campaign, MSG-3 may, according to purists, be in sleep mode, or, for some others, just in "stand by". For sure, all parties agree that the term "hibernation" is inappropriate, this mode being incompatible with the usual Guyanese heat. What ever this phase is called, a break, a pause, an interruption, a rest ... we are definitely in baby sitting mode.
In other words, MSG-3 takes a short nap before starting, pretty soon, its 24 hours/day mission for the next 7 years (and very likely even more).

Most important thing now is to get a credible and agreed launch date. We all are waiting for it as, in good old days, others were Waiting for the Robert E. Lee...This 1912 ragtime composed by Lewis F. Muir (some other versions included lyrics), reminds the famous steamboat named the Robert E. Lee transporting cotton bales along the Mississippi river. Whatever the fate of this ship was, the musical piece became quiet famous and will certainly entertain our "baby" (and most of us) during this "transient" phase... let's call it this way:-)
Keep you posted.

K. B.