6th February 1995

From Michael Ashley.....

It is now 5 days from station close, and the population is starting to decline (although it is still in the 80's). The weather has warmed up a bit due to clouds, to -29C, and it is much easier to work outside, although there is now almost no contrast between the snow and the sky.

Bob Loewenstein comments that the South Pole is probably the only place on Earth where people are still speculating about the results of the Superbowl a week after it has taken place.

Some problems appear with IRPS today. The stepper motor problem, where the motor drivers spontaneously provide power to the motors after being disabled, has recurred. There is still a lot of work to be done on the hibernating software, to ensure that IRPS can fill itself with LN2 and manage the ion pump in all foreseeable circumstances. IRPS is now on the Internet, and we verify communication with the outside world.

All of the problems appear straightforward to fix, and we feel confident that our work is almost done and that tomorrow will be a quiet day.

Michael Ashley (with contributions from John Storey)