1. The Return to Service of the HartRAO 26m Telescope Michael Gaylard HartRAO

2. South polar shaft bearing failed 2008 October 03 Diagram of NASA antenna similar to HartRAO's

3. A-frame to support telescope during bearing replacement

4. HartRAO 26m telescope repair - pouring foundations for A-frame April 19

5. Components at Tass Engineering, Johannesburg May 26

6. Ludwig Combrinck measuring the polar shaft position May 27

7. Placing the A-frame box-beam on the concrete bases June 10

8. Preparing the A-frame legs June 18

9. First A-frame leg hanging from collar around polar shaft June 21

10. Bracing the hour angle gear wheel June 23

11. Last A-frame leg installed June 24

12. Inserting the pin locking the A-frame leg to the box-beam June 24

13. Welding A-frame base to box-beam June 29

14. 200-ton hydraulic jack lifts the telescope June 30

15. Polar shaft end cap puller in place July 01

16. Removing the polar shaft end cap July 02

17. Failed bearing exposed July 02

18. Extracting fragments of shattered bearing July 02

19. Arc-gouging to extract remains of bearing July 06

20. Preparing polar shaft end cap for re-installation July 13

21. The new bearing is in July 15

22. Re-installing the polar shaft end cap July 15

23. Removing the A-frame July 16

24. The telescope drives West for the first time 2010 July 20

25. Testing the limits July 22

26. First light – testing the telescope pointing July 22

27. First pulsar observation – Vela pulsar July 23

28. First spectroscopy – water vapour in Orion July 23

29. 26m and 15m (XDM) – both observing the Vela pulsar July 23

30. Vela pulsar glitches after 4 years – on July 31 at 21h 15m SAST discovered by 15m XDM then 26m Sarah Buchner See Astronomers Telegram 2768

31. Interacting Binary star Circinus X-1radio flares See Astronomers Telegram 2699

32. First VLBI after repair ICRF astrometry Aug 11

33. First target of opportunity e-VLBI with the EVN, Sep 30 MAXI J1659-152 Zsolt Paragi ATEL 2906

34. e-VLBI to Europe at 1024 Mbps – Nov 23 Target of Opportunity – Crab Pulsar

35. e-VLBI to Australia at 512 Mbps – Nov 24 Jonathan Quick

36. 26m Telescope Repair – Key Players and timeline National Research Foundation – President Albert van Jaarsveld approves motivating the repair, 2009 July 22 Department of Science and Technology – Minister Naledi Pandor obtains funds for the repair GD Satcom (US) – prime contractors - Tom McClellan Stratosat Datacom (SA) – local contractors – Gerhard Botha Tass Engineering (SA) – heavy engineering HartRAO – Pieter Stronkhorst, Antennas and special projects First post-repair observation – 2010 July 22 First post-repair VLBI – 2010 August 11 - Jonathan Quick, VLBI Operations Manager