Recovering the GeoMicrobe Sled 收回採樣雪橇

After sitting on the CORK head for two years, the GeoMicrobe Sled is finally getting closer to its way back to ship. The recovery of this sled turn out to be very challenging. During the first dive, we found out that our floatation packages were missing. We need the floats to bring the sled back. Our sled is still too heavy even if we attach all other smaller floats available on the ship. We decide to use remote operated vehicle Medea (http://www.whoi.edu/ndsfVehicles/Jason/) to help us pull the sled back. That isn't an easy task. We need to find a good/secured way to connect to Medea to the GeoMicrobe Sled. The scientists and the JASON team decided to use a strong rope with a shackle at the end to attach sled to the Medea. Can you imaging using two pairs of chopsticks to tight a shackle? That is exactly what the JASON pilots need to do with JASON's two manipulators. The pilot was so skillful and our sled was successfully attached to Medea and it's on it's way back right now~~ 

我們的採樣雪橇孤零零的在水下觀測井的平台等待我們迎接它回來，一等就是兩年，這之間不知道發生什麼事，原本掛在採樣雪橇上的浮球組，整個不見了，沒有浮球，我們就沒有足夠的浮力把雪橇帶回來。而且採樣雪橇太重了，即使把船上現有的全部浮球裝上去，都還不夠，因此我們希望利用遠端遙控潛水艇米迪雅(Medea http://www.whoi.edu/ndsfVehicles/Jason/) 幫我們把雪橇拉回船上。說起來簡單，但是光要把採樣雪橇跟米迪雅連在一起，就是個大工程了，科學家們跟潛水艇機長們決定用一條很強壯的繩子，用傑森號的機械手臂，利用英文叫做shackle的掛鉤，串到採樣雪橇上，想想傑森號的船長跟發號施令的科學家都在船上，而傑森號跟採樣雪橇都遠在2600米深的海床上，就像是要我們用兩雙筷子鎖螺絲釘，並不是簡單的任務，但大家協力辦到了，採樣雪橇正在返回船上中，好令人期待啊！

GeoMicrobe Sled in sight. There is no floatation attached.
採樣雪橇靜靜的在等我們，上面沒有浮球了。

The hook like tool is called shackle.
左上的螢幕中間的白色鉤鉤就是英文的shackle。

JASON's left hand is a shackle. Right hand is a bolt that can close the shackle hooked to the sled.
傑森號右手的是可以串過shackle的螺絲。 

Hooking the shackle to the GeoMicrobe Sled.
試著把shackle串進採樣雪橇的掛鉤中。 

Shackle is in position. Tightening. Better seen in the left bottom panel.
串好了，得把螺絲旋緊來。左下角的圖片可以很明顯地看到螺絲旋進shackel中。

Jason back off from the GeoMicrobe Sled. Trying to see if Medea can lift the GeoMicrobe Sled up.
傑森號往後退，看看米迪雅是否可以把採樣雪橇拉起來。 

GeoMicrobe Sled is up!!
採樣雪橇被拉離水下觀測井的平台了。






(two hours later)
(兩小時候）

Pulling Medea off the water.
把米迪雅拉出水面。

Ｍedea is on deck.
米迪雅到船上了。

JASON is off the water.
傑森號拉出水面。

GeoMicrobe Sled off the water. 

採樣雪橇～～你終於回來了！！

After TWO years of waiting. Sled is back on deck!!

等了兩年，好期待分析樣品後得到的數據！！