Today has been the first official “general meeting” of the SouthTRAC campaign, bringing together most of the participants involved: scientists, students, technicians, project managers.

Right in the middle of the preparations of the HALO aircraft, some important milestones ahead of us had to be discussed. The schedule is already very tight, and any delay now may endanger the entire planning for the transfer to Río Grande.

The next crucial steps are the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests, one on the ground and one in flight. There, all instruments have to be run up in a controlled manner, and the electromagnetic noise they create is measured to ensure a safe operation of the aircraft. As a prerequisite, of course, all instruments need to run at all.

Other than that, the logistics of the transfer flights from Oberpfaffenhofen were discussed, as well as requirements in Río Grande (internet connectivity).