PI Daily, January 2020
By Lindy Elkins-Tanton Starting January 1, 2020…
a new series of daily mission activity Tweets from Psyche Principal Investigator (PI) Lindy Elkins-Tanton.
#PI_Daily
The goal? To share an inside look at the chores, challenges, tasks, assignments, duties, and more taken on by a NASA mission PI!
Follow along on @MissionToPsyche or below.
Q: What is asteroid (16) Psyche?
12,000-word A: "Observations, meteorites, and models: A pre-flight assessment of the composition and formation of (16) Psyche," accepted today @jgrplanets !
Short A: We don't know! (Oooo the mystery! Let's go find out!)@NASAPsyche, #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/jbLLk5niZf
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 30, 2020
all schedules, all budgets, all staffing, all challenges, all risks. How is each subsystem and instrument prepared for their upcoming CDRs? Testbeds ready? Even, what's the current design for shipping box for WHOLE s/c to the Cape? #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 30, 2020
Intensive @NASAPsyche PI-ing today. PS and I discuss onboard data file structure for minimizing data loss if memory units are zapped w space radiation. Eng. Change Board: updated thermal requirements btwn s/c and DSOC. Now project MMR! Updates on EVERYTHING including…#PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 30, 2020
8:00 phone: lunar settlement tech
9:00 Magnetometer Mthly Mgt Review
1:00 lunch w @jamestanton
1:30 misc, packing
3:00 transit > airport & @NASAPsyche staff mtg
4:00 email
4:30 board > Burbank
6:30 dinner in Pasadena w Prog Exec, @Jim_Bell, others fm team
8:30 email#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/bgQ5AJMZup— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 29, 2020
Light @NASAPsyche work today: discussing her thesis on models of core solidification and how they reproduce iron meteorite compositions with @geologymaiden, and giving a talk on Psyche and the importance of team culture for the #NAEGrandChallenges series. #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 28, 2020
A disparate basket of tasks 4 @NASAPsyche #PI_Daily. Plans 4 next online course. Responses to talk invites. Consults with another PI. Strategizing science representation (me, Carol Polanskey our PS, or @Jim_Bell?) on CDRs, which have settled into final schedule. We hope. Also…
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 24, 2020
Spent the morning talking w @NASAPsyche grad students @geologymaiden and @JohnMChristoph about research, on the role of sulfur in planetesimal core formation, and the ability of solar wind and micrometeorites to produce a metal regolith, respectively. Good progress! #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 24, 2020
At @NASAJPL working w @NASAPsyche team. Topics: shock and vibe for instruments, order of events and location of ATLO, CDR prep (festive CDR season! Don't forget!), slowness of IEEE parts delivery (causing some trouble). Basically, working the challenges! #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/LvIHMu8kox
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 22, 2020
mini-#PI_Daily update: I'm @NASAJPL for my usual 2-day visit. Will meet w/project manager, deputy PM, lead engineer, project scientist 1:1, and other group mtgs. All update on "worry beads," top risks, recent changes.
PM: "I am in process of updating my list of care-abouts."
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 21, 2020
Got back yesterday from Chile & two @NASAPsyche talks. Today, update call w David Lawrence, lead of gamma-ray & neutron spectrometer on their prep for GRNS CDR, coming up fast. Now in Pasadena hotel, ready for regular team meetings at @NASAJPL tomorrow. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/qgMPiUeehR
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 21, 2020
On flight, reviewed ECRs on:
Lightning suppression assemblies.
Access depth for xenon fill/drain valve.
Launch Services requirements for s/c to be kept at 21C +/- 3C and 30-60% relative humidity.
Adding margin to harness length btwn each camera head and its DEA board.#PI_Daily— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 19, 2020
Bc of the complexity of @NASAPsyche s/c, any change someone wants has to be checked by all possible related systems. We have a Change Control Board and a structure of Engineering Change Requests (ECRs). Reviewed on plane: see Tweet Part2! #PI_Daily
Here's the top of the form. pic.twitter.com/tUDlqx5CPw
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 19, 2020
During launch, of course, the spacecraft ("s/c") experiences vibration and shock ("shock & vibe") during launch. A lot of shock & vibe. We spend a lot of time on all the tests and models to make sure everything will be safe. #PI_Daily (2/2)
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 17, 2020
Calling in from Santiago, Chile, for the weekly 1:1 between @NASAPsyche @NASAJPL Project Manager Henry Stone and myself. Talked abt CDR dates, progress on each instrument, and the anticipation that in about a month we will find out which rocket we're launching on! #PI_Daily (1/2)
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 17, 2020
Last week to her surprise she learned I was coming to Talca to give a talk about the mission, and we met, and she made me a gift of her painting. There are not enough characters to express all the feelings. (2/2) #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/R6oiCiPkAK
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 16, 2020
In Talca, Chile, where there was an 8.8 earthquake in 2010. Here’s a house that was ruined then. Speaking to about 600 people in the opera house, with many other speakers, part of #CongresoFuturo2020. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/DL2xJzV8NK
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 15, 2020
Completed first @NASAPsyche talk at #CongresoFuturo2020. Exploration as inspiration to solve the problems confronting us. Now to Talca to give another talk tomorrow. #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 14, 2020
Still polishing up the @NASAPsyche talks for #CongresoFuturo2020 in Santiago & Maule, Chile, this week. Wonderful event and excited to introduce everyone to our mission. But meanwhile, missing all the important meetings and updates back at the ranch! A hard balance. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/YbXw2XFu7j
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 13, 2020
Off on an airplane to give three @NASAPsyche talks! So today, working on talks and sitting on airplanes. #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 12, 2020
Today I talked with a @NASAPsyche graduate student about his progress in research, and with the lead of our magnetometer build about progress there.
Tonight: resubmit the revised "What is Psyche?" paper! #PI_Daily
Image of a metal world by Chris Sullivan, amazing animator. pic.twitter.com/ZZxzwlfC7v
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 11, 2020
These Monthly Management Reviews are super-helpful deep dives into how each instrument, subsystem, or the whole project is progressing. Technical, schedule, cost…etc. Usefulness depends upon open fearless communication! Always working on that. #PI_Daily (2/2)
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 9, 2020
Today for @NASAPsyche I'm writing a talk to give in Chile next week (what's the thing you think the public most wants to know??), and preparing for near-term events like:
Jan 23 GRNS MMR
Jan 24 Launch sequence tabletop
Jan 27 Imager MMR
Jan 28 Magnetometer MMR#PI_Daily (1/2)— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 9, 2020
Today Project Systems Eng mtg, Risk Board mtg, PM/PI 1:1. We track all identified risks to the mission using 1-5 scale for likelihood & consequence. We go over all top risks, and we look at any new ones. For success & safety conversation has to be open! #PI_Daily @NASAPsyche pic.twitter.com/NsP5xuvtyk
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 8, 2020
Today's @NASAPsyche #PI_Daily-4 mtgs: lead engineer, proj scientist, staff mtg, weekly tag-up of NASA HQ, Marshall, JPL, & ASU leadership. Catching up on top risks & challenges. Big topic: cadence of subsystem CDRs up to project CDR. Will we be ready? (Y!) https://t.co/qwoxDjJR88
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 8, 2020
Jan 6 @NASAPsyche #PI_Daily from the PI…fielding final comments on new paper integrating all current data on Psyche. Discussing possible import of meteorite Steinbach. Phone calls and emails on #LPSC2020, #PI_Daily (!), a staff change due to retirement. Good day.
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 7, 2020
Part of my #PI_Daily work today was communicating with @bethanyehlmann about @NASAPsyche's success criteria and Level 1 science requirements. Every mission is different; there is no perfect rule or template for making these decisions and documents.
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 6, 2020
Three years ago yesterday @NASAPsyche and @NASALucy2Trojan were selected for flight. Those three years surely have moved fast! Now we are under 1,000 days until launch.
And for anyone interested in the effective #PI_Daily of that day, here's a blog: https://t.co/8rDY2DGnzc?
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 5, 2020
.@NASAPsyche #PI_Daily for Sun. Jan 5: Spent ~4 hours revising our new team paper, colloquially called "What is Psyche?" What does all the latest data add up to? A super-mysterious asteroid!
Special thanks to our three reviewers for being helpful, substantive, and kind! Whoa!
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 5, 2020
The more prosaic part of space mission work today: writing recommendation letters for junior members of the team who are applying for new jobs or other internships. When I really know the person and we have actually worked together, I am happy to write. 🧐⌨️🖨️ #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 4, 2020
Long computer day. Looking at results of a Psyche occultation (@colkin 👀) and reading a series of #LPSC2020 abstracts from the Psyche team — submission Jan. 7! Ideas about the collisional history of Psyche, and updates on data analysis for the GRNS, among others. #PI_Daily!
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 3, 2020
Two #PI_Daily posts today! In our important weekly 1:1 Project Manager Henry Stone and I discussed the scheduling and budgeting of our C&DH (command and data handling, the brainstem of the s/c — ahem, spacecraft) build, and …
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
So far for @NASAPsyche, a 1-hr interview for an article, & two phone calls on mission processes w ppl working on other missions. Later, usual hour-long catch-up between myself & Henry Stone, the Project Manager (top boss) for Psyche at @NASAJPL. One more update later. #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
Yes I realized that right away – wish I’d checked first – and we’ll use #PI_Daily.
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
I’m amazed by the interest in this! Personally I’d rather leave it as #PI_Daily so that there is no administrative need, and each individual is reporting in their own stream with their own voice, but who knows what might happen.
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
Woo hoo! You, me, @AlanStern, @SueSmrekar, @RPappalardo so far! #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
We needed to add one character to the first idea for a hashtag — watch for #PI_Daily!
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
Look for #PI_Daily
I started today with @NASAPsyche mission and will aim to tweet most days with what I’m working on. Share the journey! (2/2) 🛰🚀🛰
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
Am inviting all the PIs and Depity PIs I know on Twitter — invite any you know! I think we’ll use #PI_Daily (with underscore).
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 2, 2020
My inaugural #PIDaily tweet! Will share PI activities for @NASAPsyche regularly. Watch the hashtag for other PIs and Deputy PIs to share their chores, challenges, tasks, assignments, duties, etc on a near-daily cadence.
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) January 1, 2020