Thirteen days since we launched. (Cue music from Moulin Rouge) Everything's going so well!!! Actually, not to jinx us or anything, but the spacecraft, A and B, both checked out just fine. We've been turning on instruments in their allotted time and they've been checking out just fine as well. We actually only have one left to turn on, and they want to wait at least 30 days or more. The Instrument Teams are very pleased. Last week the Sun spit a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) towards us, and those instruments that were on even recorded some interesting things. Of course, the science mission won't begin for another, oh, 47 days, but we're well on our way. Our next major activity will be extending the spin-plane and axial booms out from the spacecraft. The spin-plane booms will be extending slowly, 5 meters at a time, until they reach 50 meters. It was going to be two of them at 40 and two at 50, but a week before launch they decided to change it so that they're even. Long, long discussion of reason why, and Adam from Drama Club and Guidance and Control team was Not Pleased, but it's a done deal now. Well, sort of. The plan is done. The actual thing begins on Thursday.
We have had some problems, mostly in the planning area as our planning software never had the chance to be challenged this thoroughly prior to launch, but we're slowly learning how to deal with it, and the guy who wrote the software is being kept plenty busy getting it to work correctly. A couple of the instruments do have some yellow limits on their thermostats, but apparently they're ok with that. For now, anyway.
After a grueling 8 days (two prior to launch), I and my fellow planner got to take 5 days off, and boy was that fun! I slept and ditched the meetings I had on Wednesday, Thursday I had a dentist appt and quite frankly didn't feel like doing anything else that day (hey, my jaw hurt!). Friday I helped with Inventory for the Drama club (which reminds me I have a file I need to send to someone), and then Saturday I went to the RenFest with Lauren.
The RenFest was fun, I always enjoy it, though I did find myself getting tired around 2:30 or so. Had to stay for Fight School, but then a storm came in just as Fight School was supposed to start. Lauren and I headed for the shops, and ended up making it to the Greentree Weaving shop where I was able to get a couple more blouses and a beautiful black skirt. It may have an elastic band, but I think even Stacy and Clinton would approve. And it has pockets!! :D
Sunday was, of course, time to go to church. In the afternoon my home teachers came over and put the feet on my couch--after giving me the lesson, of course. Then Kitty and I kind of laid on the couch and watched Veronica Mars. Soapnet has been showing the old episodes of VM, and gave me a desire to watch it again, and since I have all three seasons on DVD, not a problem, eh? That Veronica, she really jerks poor Logan around. And he has such big brown eyes! Ok, sometimes he really deserves it, but not after they get together. Oh, and I actually did some cooking. I picked up a book at my WW group "I love Leftovers!". All about making large amounts of food and storing it, and sometimes even turning it into something else before eating it again. I need that, I can tell you. I really can't even think when I get home after a 12-hour day.
And Monday time to go back to work, this time as a Spacecraft Analyst. Someone else gets to do the planning (and field all the scheduling calls) for a while. I'll be back to doing it in a month, but until then I get to figure out how to fly these spacecraft! And empty out my email box. Still at over 500 emails, most from pre-launch.
