After the UV lamp tests are complete, the PolarNOx experiment is ready for yet another test: alignment.

NASA workers lower the experiment payload onto the alignment cradle
NASA workers lower the experiment payload onto the alignment cradle. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.

NASA Wallops team members carefully lower the experiment onto the alignment cradle, which will allow the PolarNOx team to make fine measurements and adjustments to the instruments once in the clean room.

The alignment test is critical to ensure the altitude control system points PolarNOX in the correct direction when launched. The team will be pointing their payload at Algenib, a star located in the corner of the Great Square, part of the Pegasus constellation.

Aklima Khatun and Sowmya Muthurangan collaborate with the NASA team to ensure the experiment and the booster payloads are communicating.
Aklima Khatun and Sowmya Muthurangan collaborate with the NASA team to ensure the experiment and the booster payloads are communicating. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.
Experiment team and NASA team collaborate on the video feed for the experiment
Experiment team and NASA team collaborate on the video feed for the PolarNOx experiment. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.
Sowmya Muthurangan watches the experimet get wheeled into the clean room for alignment tests
Sowmya Muthurangan watches the experiment get wheeled into the clean room for alignment tests. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.

An essential component of the alignment test is the star tracker, which simultaneously guides and permits the instruments to point at the desired star.

Experiment payload prepped for the star tracker alignment test
Experiment payload prepped for the star tracker alignment test. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.
NASA installing the star tracker into the experiment
A NASA Wallops team member installs the star tracker into the experiment. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.
Close up of the star tracker installed in the experiment
Close up of the star tracker installed in the experiment. Photo by Niki Hazuda for Virginia Tech.