July 20, 1998 -- cell preparation

• The Magellan I cell sits on a flatbed outside the new addition to the Mirror Lab.
• Cleaning the rainwater off the Magellan cell.
• Close quarters -- Gabe and Phill remove a hard point.
• The cell.
• Five of the six hardpoints in their shipping container.
• The lifting fixture arrives from the Basecamp.
• Moving the lifting fixture into the new addition.
• Inside the new addition.
• Washing the lifting fixture.
• During disassembly, it was discovered that one of the single-axis actuators had broken at its flexure.

• Assembling the lifting fixture in South Casting.
• The view from above.
• The Mirror Box arrives from the Basecamp on a flatbed.
• Rigging is in place for the lift of the box.
• Moving the box into the east addition.
• The box is put down in the east addition.
• The mirror and cell are moved into South Casting for the lift.
• "Okay....PUSH!"
• Moving the cell under the suspended lifting fixture.
• The mirror's view.
• Carefully lowering the lifting fixture onto the mirror.
• The lifting fixture has been attached and the overnight vacuum leak test begun. The crew pauses for a group shot.

• Charlie Hull from the Magellan project lends Shawn Callahan a hand atop the cell.
• Preparing to lift the mirror.
• "Bring it up."
• Discernable motion.
• The mirror emerges.
• Close-up of the suction cups and vacuum pumps.
• Inspecting the bottom of the mirror.
• The cell is moved out from under the mirror.
• The bottom of the mirror.
• The hardpoint attachments are removed.
• A view from under the mirror transport box. The cell is seen moving into North Polishing and the mirror hangs in South Casting beyond.
• Another view as the cell is parked.
• The air cart is pulled out from under the cell...
• ...and moved under the transport box's support frame.
• The support frame is moved from the east addition.
• A view of the MMT 6.5 m mirror with the plastic-enshrouded 8.4 m LBT I mirror beyond.
• The cart moves under the mirror.
• The primary is lowered.
• Contact...well, almost.
• The empty cell is moved into the east addition to be prepared for transport.
• The cell moves under the test tower for the last time.
• In the new addition.
• The primary moves into North Polishing for a final inspection.
• Twins -- the Optikoted MMT primary with a gleaming Magellan I primary in the background.

• The view from below. The yellow triangles are the triple load spreaders. They are seen attached to the support points of the transport box.
• Another view showing two blue double load spreaders and the Cassegrain hole.
• Bill Omann, Blaine Olbert and Dan Watson (not shown) inspect the sites of known cracks using a small video camera. No cracks have changed since the last inspection which was carried out before polishing began.
• A crack propagating from a cross-pin hole. Note that it had been stop-drilled and this has been effective.
• Another stop-drilled crack.
• A view through several cells. Note the crack.
• A complex crack pattern.