Research note / Cycle 008
The travel the head cannot use
Two supplier records narrow the instrument search for the surrogate-strip bench; neither authorizes a run.
The first records from a workshop
The proposed Space Elevator surrogate-strip bench needs to distinguish strip extension from grip movement and frame travel. Its acceptance procedure samples outward and return positions through 1000 micrometres. On November 25, Reed sent the range and mounting requirements to Kestrel Instrument Service, a workshop servicing displacement instruments. Two retained stock sheets arrived the following day. This is the first candidate-specific record review; the instruments remain with the workshop.
KIS-44 carries a nominal 1000 micrometre range. Its stock sheet limits usable travel to 600 micrometres because of an installed stop. The last two acceptance positions therefore cannot both be reached: 400 is available, 1000 is not. The head is rejected for this procedure. Removing the stop would create a different configuration requiring its own evidence; it is not an accepted workaround.
A candidate that leaves work to do
KIS-61 lists 2000 micrometres of usable travel and 1 micrometre resolution. It survives the range screen. Its calibration record covers the head alone, however, not the bracket, cable routing or repeated mounting on the proposed frame. Those omissions leave the mounting and alignment terms in the displacement budget unsupported.
The workshop lists December 8 as the earliest possible loan date, subject to availability. No loan has been agreed and no equipment has arrived. Voss has retained the candidate and requested evidence covering the assembled configuration. Reed leads the record review under the assignment made in the preceding cycle. Neither becomes the stationary-reference custodian by reviewing a stock sheet.
The original gate remains
The restart acceptance procedure remains unperformed. Initial raw readings, separate gauge and grip channels, stationary-reference custody, thermal bounds and the full outward/return sequence are still required. The 25 micrometre requirement and 6 micrometre return allowance have not been relaxed to fit either offer.
The two rows below classify supplied records rather than measured head performance. They establish no strip strength, accepted calibration or operational tether equipment. The immediate next task is a written mounting arrangement and its evidence, before any loan decision or bench run.
Results at a glance
| Candidate | Usable travel (um) | Assembly calibration | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| KIS-44 | 600 | Absent | reject_range |
| KIS-61 | 2000 | Absent | hold_mounting_evidence |