PI Daily, October 2023
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.
Good morning, @MissionToPsyche spacecraft.
One-way comms light time 28.6 seconds, range to Earth 8.53 MMkm.
Today we are turning on the DSOC instrument! #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/jdvZvoYlcI
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 30, 2023
I've added a third, approximate countdown clock to my desktop. @MissionToPsyche #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/hP3uRma2s6
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 27, 2023
Today in @MissionToPsyche ops: Switching from the low-gain to the high-gain antenna, now that we are far enough away not to damage the @dsn_status and vice-versa (abt 7 MMkm as I write). Will get 6x data rate. Here's the antenna before it was released to space. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/ary3o8oIze
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 27, 2023
Thanks @Nasdaq for streaming the @MissionToPsyche launch into Times Square as the probe headed into space on a @SpaceX Falcon Heavy on super-lucky Friday October 13, 2023! #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/jjy6kqOkUU
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 26, 2023
Today on @MissionToPsyche the flight team is unlocking the gimbals for the Hall Thruster arms. 9.5-hour process; includes turning the spacecraft so the release mechanisms are at the correct temperatures before triggering release. #PI_Daily
Photo: John Krauss from 13 days ago pic.twitter.com/cQdPnjufg7— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 25, 2023
Here's a typical staffing plan for an early-mission operations shift of the @MissionToPsyche spacecraft. We need each person's unique expertise to be able to respond to any questions or anomalies. So far, going very very well! #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/4eMIlfT1bD
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 24, 2023
Another photo of the @MissionToPsyche s/c from @moonyguy! 4.5 million km away for the photo; at time of writing ~5.2 MMkm.
This morning we desaturated momentum wheels. I'll be going in to the Mission Support Area (MSA) shortly to continue learning about flight ops. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/8DFhtr6K7g
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 23, 2023
Where is @MissionToPsyche?
How fast is it moving relative to Earth?
How far away is the spacecraft?
All this and more… #PI_Dailyhttps://t.co/1MYQI21nXu— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 19, 2023
The thrill of seeing our @MissionToPsyche spacecraft on the @dsn_status. 61kb/sec, 3.12 million km, 21 light-second RT comms.#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/JQRLFGDFbA
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 19, 2023
Happy to report @MissionToPsyche magnetometer is on and working beautifully. We are stepping slowly thru the whole Initial CheckOut (ICO) and I'll report on progress periodically. Seems good moment to show our new metal shirts! Ltd edition alas from friend of the team. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/iOh73SnOZ0
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 19, 2023
Going on pad last Wednesday, to say goodbye to our beautiful @MissionToPsyche spacecraft. Surreal, shivering with excitement. Thank you @SpaceX! #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/1UCzYDxYo0
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 18, 2023
The @MissionToPsyche spacecraft is zipping along at about 6 km/sec, straight away from us. That's why we did not turn on the cameras to take Earth-Moon photos — we were actually going away so fast it wasn't worth it! #PI_Daily https://t.co/h8f7VJRyS6
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 18, 2023
Ways to keep up with the @MissionToPsyche :
1. Very accurate s/c and asteroid position information: https://t.co/AJcTJSAul3
2. Follow @MissionToPsyche and me on social media platforms
3. News and blog on https://t.co/DnhJXJbxjhThanks for your interest!! #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 17, 2023
The @MissionToPsyche spacecraft is already so far away that switching DSN stations is because of the spin of the Earth; the spacecraft was never orbiting our planet. #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/3v6aGpCXmS
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 17, 2023
Just learned that after launch it's not called "payload" any more, it's called "science instruments." So today @MissionToPsyche will start working with science instruments! #PI_Daily
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 17, 2023
Did you see this photo of booster separation on the @MissionToPsyche @SpaceX Falcon Heavy? Whoa. #PI_Daily https://t.co/dzInBIDyGP
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 17, 2023
Look at that beauty! It's our spacecraft, tucked up safe inside its fairing. That encapsulation happened in a big clean room, and now it's safe to roll slowly from the mainland over to LC-39A. Getting there! @MissionToPsyche #PI_Daily https://t.co/sTo2omJQCt
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 6, 2023
All the live launch coverage options @MissionToPsyche's launch in 7 days, on Thursday October 12, and the events available on the 10th and 11th as well! #PI_Dailyhttps://t.co/fX01GAFr1Z
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 5, 2023
Today we put on bunny suits and went into the clean high bay to say good-bye to the @MissionToPsyche spacecraft. It's about to be encapsulated in the rocket fairing. This is the big building it's in, and with the imager team a few days ago (can't share today's photos). #PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/bvdzpdrDqj
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) October 3, 2023