* 2. ASSEMBLE THE SPACECRAFT BUS.

Lunar Prospector's SPACECRAFT BUS houses supporting subsystems, such as radio gear for communications with Earth, propulsion for adjusting the orbit, spin, and attitude, optical devices to provide attitude control knowledge, and mechanical support and deployment mechanisms for the science instrument booms.

• Release the SPACECRAFT BUS from Parts Sheet B. Fold a crease into each of the six vertical hinges in the part, folding all in the same direction, back away from the printed side. See the illustrations farther down this page.

• Apply glue to the yellow rectangle marked GLUE. Overlap the glue with the opposite end. Squeeze the seam until dry.

• Adjust the angles of each fold to be equal. The object protruding above, by the way, represents optical devices used for attitude control and navigation. Their fields of view are toward the +X direction.

  

• Release the two PROPELLANT TANK halves from Parts Sheet A, Fit the circles together, slot into slot, at right angles. Fold the yellow back 90 degrees, so you can stand the tank upright. This represents a spherical tank which holds propellant.

• Release the four PROPELLANT TANK halves from Parts Sheet B, and repeat the above procedure to make two more tank assemblies.

• Try to stand each tank on its folded yellow and white tab. You might have to trim the bottom of the folded tab so that it can stand up.

• Release the part labelled SUPPORT from Parts Sheet B.

• Apply glue to the end of the yellow and white tab of one PROPELLANT TANK, and stand it, centered in a circle on the SUPPORT. Repeat with the remaining tanks.

  The markings in the part's center, by the way, represent the mechanism which reeled out three restraining tapes to deploy the booms, which spring out, uncoiling, from their canisters.

• Find a letter printed on each protruding rectangle. They indicate particular science instruments supported by booms: A for APS/NS, G for GRS, M for MAG/ER. Find the same letters printed on the SPACECRAFT BUS part. (These instruments are explained on the kit's Fact Sheet.)

  

• Temporarily fold down the three protruding rectangles. Work the SUPPORT, with its tanks facing up, inside the SPACECRAFT BUS from below. Then work each of the rectangles out through its corresponding circular hole, from inside the SPACECRAFT BUS: rectangle A through hole A, etc.

• Straighten the rectangles again. Adjust so that the SUPPORT is level and even, and its rectangles rest as low as they can in each circular hole. Secure with glue where each rectangle protrudes from a hole.

• Release the BUS TOP from Parts Sheet A. On each of two arms, fold the small yellow tab up, away toward the printed side, about 80 degrees.

• The white looping structures protruding from the part's edges represent propellant lines. Bend them all generally upward, toward the printed side. Where they extend out past the corners, fold them up and back towards the gold.

• Set the BUS TOP down on top of the SPACECRAFT BUS, gold side up, rotated so the arm without a yellow tip is above proturding rectangle M. Work the BUS TOP down inside the SPACECRAFT BUS a millimeter or two, so its arms rest in the notches at the top of the SPACECRAFT BUS. It's ok if the propulsion lines get crumpled.

• Straighten the BUS TOP so it's flat and perpendicular to the walls of the SPACECRAFT BUS. Secure it with glue at the points where each of its three arms contact the walls of the SPACECRAFT BUS.

  

• Release the BUS BOTTOM from Parts Sheet A. On each of the three arms, fold the small yellow tab back, away from the printed side, about 80 degrees.

• Turn the SPACECRAFT BUS upside down. Set the SPACECRAFT BUS BOTTOM (not illustrated) into the lower end of the SPACECRAFT BUS, gold side out. It should be rotated so that the two small slots in the gold are closest to protruding rectangles M and A. Like the BUS TOP, this piece fits just inside the SPACECRAFT BUS, supported by its protruding arms. Secure it with glue at the points where each of its three arms contact the walls of the SPACECRAFT BUS.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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