PI Daily, December 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.
Fun community project, sharing what the everyday of this job can be. From the sublime to the ridiculous. Updates from @AlanStern @RPappalardo @DrZowie @bethanyehlmann @starfleetjames and more. #PI_Daily https://t.co/sTJ2l4Yc4k
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 28, 2020
#PI_Daily Day 5 (of 6!) of @EuropaClipper Critical Design Review.
Today is PAYLOAD DAY.
9 instruments! Teams striving to build despite challenges, esp. COVID.
Highlight: SUDA, to identify dust composition. Organics lofted from subsurface ocean?https://t.co/vjFhKZA64v
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 18, 2020
Solar power is only effective out to around Jupiter; not enough solar flux beyond. So largest spacecraft are those operating out nr Jupiter. Here are some of largest s/c, plus tennis court, more or less to scale.
Day 4 @EuropaClipper CDR: Payload!#PI_Daily @MissionToPsyche pic.twitter.com/raTQCMHq1g
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 17, 2020
It's @EuropaClipper Critical Design Review Day 3: Power, avionics, RF, harness, thermal, GNC…
Solar arrays are 72 FEET LONG and have the radar HANGING ON THEM. It's going to be amazing.#PI_Daily my review board job: Watching out for the science.https://t.co/YcM3aqlNml pic.twitter.com/IXMT5GRMmu
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 16, 2020
Day 2 of @EuropaClipper Critical Design Review!
Icy Europa orbits in Jupiter's radiation belt, and @NASAJPL lab experiments say it probably glows in the dark! (Artists' interpretation. NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Supporting other missions, part of job as #PI_Daily of @MissionToPsyche. pic.twitter.com/4stMi2XcTN
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 15, 2020
Pro tip:
Planetary launches to Jupiter can occur every 13 months.
For Mars, every 26 months.That is, these are the launches with minimum launch energy required and most efficient trajectories.
Image of Jupiter from @NASAJuno.#PI_Daily pic.twitter.com/umbimO6LKY
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 14, 2020
Aaand…we're off!
Day 1 of 6 days of @EuropaClipper Critical Design Review.
Sitting on the board for another mission helps me do better as #PI_Daily for @MissionToPsyche, and I hope I bring scientific knowledge and support to Clipper in return. https://t.co/MctK6GcgD8
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 14, 2020
Part of my job is all major @MissionToPsyche reviews. Just finished Systems Integration Review. Board report later today.
Now, straight to @EuropaClipper Critical Design Review mtgs rest of the day!
Everyone has COVID challenges.
Sunshine is a welcome addition! pic.twitter.com/DcmMvj9cZr
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 10, 2020
What do you paint your deep-space instruments with to prevent stray reflected light?
Well, Acktar Fractal Black, of course!
(I love that this kind of thing exists.)https://t.co/o8qnWczS04
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 9, 2020
Prepping for Day 2 of @MissionToPsyche Systems Integration Review includes bringing in enough firewood to stay warm all day and more.
Payload all morning. Plans for testing. Imager flight hardware filter wheel here (has been posted before).
Now, Webex all day long! pic.twitter.com/Mz3sahpN1p
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 9, 2020
AND…we're off!
SIR (Systems Integration Review) for @MissionToPsyche Day 1/3.
Purpose: determine if we are ready for ATLO (Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations), scheduled to start in Feb.
The scope of the review is attached.
Hey, post if you saw Psyche!ðŸ”🔠pic.twitter.com/LuOcJL899B
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/1336370145749577734?s=20
#PI_Daily Might get to see our asteroid tonight! https://t.co/dXSKvcI28B
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 7, 2020
In the spirit of actually sharing the day, today's mainly non-@MissionToPsyche: @II_ASU, future of education, lab group, teaching.
Also, Change Control Board, sched strategy, prep for SIR (Tues!).
Idea: Invent a holiday and then take it. https://t.co/LfQsv8j0vl
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 3, 2020
Emails & msgs pinging back & forth to @NASA HQ, @NASAJPL, @Maxar, and many ppl working from home, biz as usual for @MissionToPsyche.
Inspired by @AlanStern's "Non-space jobs I’ve had that made me a better space scientist" I'll add my top: Management consultant. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/13URAFQZtz
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 2, 2020
It's @MissionToPsyche Super Tuesday! Back-to-back meetings create a fresh update of all latest efforts.
Winner for the least compelling meeting name today — though the contents were both interesting and important — "Psyche ECR for GRNS ITF Header pre-CCB discussion"
— Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins) December 1, 2020