PI Daily, June 2021
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.
What will we find when these beautiful magnetometers orbit Psyche? I can't wait to find out.@MissionToPsyche #PI_Daily https://t.co/lkOUum2B1Q
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 30, 2021
If you are a student at an American college and you are an artist of any kind and inspired to space exploration, I hope you'll consider applying to our art interns program! @MissionToPsyche #PI_Daily https://t.co/bTAUPXzH1u
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 25, 2021
This week & next I'm on a writing vacation, up in the hills of MA on my own. The break is so welcome & luxurious but it's challenging to check out of the hour-by-hour information-and-decision firehose that is @MissionToPsyche right now.#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/TELPLnuR6L
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 23, 2021
New study further supports ferrovolcanism idea — that Psyche was a metal core and erupted some of its liquid metal onto its surface.
We won't know til we get there, and we're sure to be surprised!#PI_Daily @MissionToPsyche https://t.co/sWfIalmr9X
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 18, 2021
How great – #PI_Daily from AERO-VISTA, learning about the auroras from space! https://t.co/qJNEECaWEd https://t.co/uuPVCb5Mag
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 17, 2021
Here's a pano of the high bay @NASAJPL with @MissionToPsyche being built! (Pic from Tuesday of this week.)
Tomorrow: Photos of DSOC being unwrapped and the prep for installation beginning.#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/gVdkoFNqyh
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 17, 2021
Our Step 2 proposal cover art is now available on our @MissionToPsyche website, thanks to the polite request of @astrogianca! This is art by the fantastic @peter_rubin, showing the aftermath of an impact among planetesimals.#PI_Dailyhttps://t.co/JfIDAfoq5I
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 16, 2021
Off to Boston from LA after a great visit with the @MissionToPsyche team at @NASAJPL. We have some nice images on our website, and more to come! #PI_Dailyhttps://t.co/kMvoeyYhEQ
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 16, 2021
Back at @NASAJPL visiting the @MissionToPsyche team and spacecraft! Today the Deep Space Optical Comm delivery to the high bay began (not in photo, maybe soon). Some well-deserved high spirits around this milestone! pic.twitter.com/gF3BfECT9S
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 15, 2021
Keeping up with progress on @MissionToPsyche instrument builds over the weekend via email. Some good updates.
Tomorrow at @NASAJPL having a couple of face-to-face meetings and looking at hardware. Should have some new pics soon!
For comparison, in May: pic.twitter.com/mFMQ1TF14S
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 14, 2021
Geeking out on these closeup photos of the "Psyche in Orbit" ceramic platter made by @MissionToPsyche Inspired art intern John Domenico.
The glaze was made of IRON and THERMITE. Yes you read that right.https://t.co/PZQqgmHrzJ#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/g6c4XGA037
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 10, 2021
In the lifetime of @MissionToPsyche, we are in the "schedules" era.
We have a detailed schedule for the year leading to launch, but depends upon instruments & subsystems being delivered on time…proj mgt ninja-level flexibility required!
That is today's main work.#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/ACaazbMP12
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 10, 2021
Iron meteorites machined into spheres show octahedral structure of kamacite and taenite minerals, making the Widmanstätten pattern.
Psyche won't look like this but these metals likely make up a significant fraction of the asteroid.
At @SESEASU.#PI_Daily @MissionToPsyche pic.twitter.com/VM0I1DHZn2
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 9, 2021
It's @MissionToPsyche Super Tuesday! Psyche meetings straight through.
Lots of delving into hardware issues and schedules and budgets, as ever.
No interesting narratives for #PI_Daily, and no new photos or images, so here are awkward teenage quail from outside the window. pic.twitter.com/VErwOHXqwv
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 8, 2021
Want to know where 16 Psyche is today, right this moment?
Visit @NASAJPL's fantastic #EyesOnTheSolarSystem, and search on 16 Psyche and there it is!#PI_Daily @MissionToPsyche https://t.co/eFHhQHZ50v pic.twitter.com/FpdEwCe4lF
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 7, 2021
A new genre for @MissionToPsyche art!#PI_Daily https://t.co/TNtADiU2oU
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 6, 2021
Even big asteroids are small worlds. Here's Psyche compared to some states and countries.
Today in @MissionToPsyche #PI_Daily checking in on hardware build progress, and wishing everyone a good weekend. pic.twitter.com/jjXARYk1NX
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 4, 2021
#PI_Daily for @MissionToPsyche:
– ATLO morning update 8:00 every day
– Talk on mission to @NASAGoddard – thanks!! (Slide from talk attached here)
– Early prep for fall all-team meeting
– discuss asteroid research w @JohnMChristoph
Hope all your days are going well! pic.twitter.com/pjIWC3ZmQ5— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 3, 2021
Today we may hear selections for the #NasaDiscovery program's next missions. @MissionToPsyche is "Disco 14" — I'm nervous, remembering! I got the call in the morning and press event was about 6 hrs later.
Thinking of all the teams out there! #PI_Dailyhttps://t.co/n44i9g5Kon
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) June 2, 2021