A slightly ambiguous term – covering a vast range of topics.
In one area, observatories, perched on the top of a mountain – proved a formidable challenge. Cambridge University needed equipment delivering to an observatory in Tenerife – with the qualification that, once loaded, the consignment must remain on the trailer throughout, not be disturbed in any way. Needless to say, STG met all the criteria – to the point where, given that Cambridge University had a webcam at the observatory, they could view the truck arriving on site.
With another project, this time for Barcelona University, there wasn’t even a road to the observatory. As a result, at the foot of the mountain, the cargo had to be transferred from the arriving trucks to what is best described as “pick up” trucks for the final stage.
When Microsoft purchased a research laboratory in Cambridge, STG was approached to photograph and catalogue everything – subsequently arranging the packing and shipment to the USA – to the point of supervising arrival and unpacking.
Numerous other facilities, associated with research, come to mind. These include Harwell, Rutherford Appleton, JET at Culham and CERN at Geneva.
Although touched on elsewhere, the satellite section, starting life from the Russian Space Academy Moscow, initially to arrive L’Aquila near Rome, then moved on to Pasadena, followed by Cape Canaveral, ultimately “somewhere in space” – should not be forgotten.
