PI Daily, August 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.
Today was an unusual day! Set up a home studio & filmed @PoetryInAmerica w Elisa New. Deeply enjoyed discussing Ammons' poem Cascadilla Creek – involves conflict btwn the inaccessible scales of universe and our human efforts. Brought in a bit of @MissionToPsyche. pic.twitter.com/GpElK1egqz
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 28, 2020
Special treat for me today…Women of @MissionToPsyche panel discussion at @NASAJPL (we're just reps…lots more ppl of all descriptions on the team!).
Huge lift to my spirits, seeing and talking with these teammates. 130 ppl online for the webinar right now. pic.twitter.com/gi3V3jnsXw
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 27, 2020
This morning in @MissionToPsyche review w @SpaceX we talked a lot about shock and vibe – critical not to exceed instrument tolerances, and requires detailed finite element modeling. Now, limits on radiated emissions from launch vehicle and s/c. #PI_Daily https://t.co/yMATNTE4w3
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 26, 2020
Seemingly unrelated jobs today…
– Launch MSRR. Ever think abt how launch vehicle releases s/c w no angular momentum in any axis?
– Organizing papers about mission for pre-launch
– Awaiting NASA HQ's budget deliberations (they've got the really hard work now) pic.twitter.com/CWfeLuWwaW— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 25, 2020
Tomorrow and next day is very exciting Mission Systems Requirements Review (MSRR) for the LAUNCH!
2 days on mech and elec interfaces, loads, acoustics, shock, cleanliness, ground ops, and more, w @SpaceX, @NASA launch sys providers, and the @MissionToPsyche team. pic.twitter.com/Gj3mlkxuDM
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 24, 2020
Oh, it's budgets budgets budgets all the day long!
Working w @NASA, @NASAJPL, @NASA_Marshall to quantify COVID effects & make achievable spending plan. Still no final answers, but feeling good abt the work & path forward.
Imager's green "go" filter for inspiration. pic.twitter.com/khERisRfKq
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 21, 2020
Today, our super-abbreviated Monthly Management Review. [In which we discover our productivity and budget trending in the right direction.]
And Proj. Mgt. 1:1. [In which we re-discover that we have similar mgt styles, ethics, and priorities, and feel thankful.]
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 19, 2020
What we're working on:
How can we reduce budget to offset COVID costs?
How do we get subs to deliver a better product? On better schedule?Plus, let's write all our pre-flight science & instrument papers!
P.S. All tests in fm yesterday: I am CLEAR of cancer 6 years! pic.twitter.com/agBwcXtj5Q
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 18, 2020
Worth sharing, I think, life goes on whilst PI-ing#PI_Daily
Not working much on @MissionToPsyche, bc all day at Mayo having MRI & other scans (IV, ugh), blood tests, dr. chats, to confirm ovarian cancer is not back. So far looks good!
LIVE YOUR LIFEhttps://t.co/DnhJXJsAlh
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 17, 2020
1st time I appreciated Earned Value Mgt. Lets us calc exactly how much @MissionToPsyche team productivity dropped bc of COVID, thus cost of catch up.
Still working beautifully to 2022 launch. Keep fingers crossed, friends, this is not easy!
Pic – last night's tstorms pic.twitter.com/EY4BYol6pN
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 13, 2020
Today's forecast 100% Psyche 🛰️ w a 80% chance of emergencies 👩🔧 and also email replies from me 📨.
All 10 mtgs colored orange or red in my calendar. Talking across whole team, line to NASA HQ, making it work!
COVID…we'll figure this all out!
(photo: mine) pic.twitter.com/dWsVV6maY6
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 11, 2020
Published a new blog post today!
What would Mark Watney do? From @MissionToPsyche's system engineer Bill Hart, explaining the amazing fact that in planning a solar electric mission, in some ways, mass = power. Plus, what is margin? https://t.co/nzXkgSHHyj
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 10, 2020
Working w @Jim_Bell and our PS Carol P. on a Springer edited volume of articles on @MissionToPsyche. Will be science and instruments, published in time for launch, the "before" benchmark…can't wait for the "during" and "after" benchmarks in our sci and eng knowledge!
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 7, 2020
A day when work is mostly concerned w other projects & preparing to teach, but Psyche is always passing thru, in the email, in scheduling mtgs and calls, and in reading pre-publication papers from other missions and commenting on them for the press!
(Wikipedia image) pic.twitter.com/Q8oX4KWb6o
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 6, 2020
Today @MissionToPsyche:
– Proj. Sys. Eng'g + Change Control Board
– Risk Board – reevaluate top risks. Some r subsiding!
– Qtly report 2 NASA HQ
– Henry (PM) & Lindy 1:1
– Work subcontractor issues.Also, saving a gopher snake trapped in chicken wire. No metaphor. pic.twitter.com/NXVzyQX5Dt
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 5, 2020
Phew, some days tougher than others! Having trouble w subcontractors delivering parts for @MissionToPsyche. & all problems = $.
But, our ppl are well. Matters much more.
Wish we could make them ourselves in our shed…I cleaned it out and am feeling pleased w it. pic.twitter.com/J80l1MxJhh
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 4, 2020
Today was Center Mgt Council meeting, where @NASAJPL confirms they agree w & support @MissionToPsyche's #COVID replan. All is well, team did a great job figuring out how much productivity loss (=$$) COVID has caused. We're still on track, our schedule still closes! pic.twitter.com/VFl1RlLMOA
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) August 3, 2020