Upgrade Update #12

Group photo of four people sitting on top of large boxes, with arms stretched out sideways linking hands.
Colton Hill, IceCube/NSF

Last week the Upgrade team finished drilling the fifth hole and started in on the sixth. But it’s not all drilling for the team—there’s also installation of modules and then commissioning all the deployed devices. But there was progress on all fronts. The fifth string was completely deployed, and the commissioning team has been making good progress on commissioning all the deployed devices so far. Above, some happy members of the testing team are seen posing on top of large boxes out on the ice. Below are some views similar to last week, here of an open junction box during inspection and a slack pit lined with magnetic indicator tape, with the IceCube Lab in the background.

A person in red parka crouched over inspecting connections in a junction box out on the ice.
Erik Blaufuss, IceCube/NSF
Slack pit showing magnetic indicator tape lines, IceCube Lab in the background.
Erik Blaufuss, IceCube/NSF