[X] My Assistant

[Jim from NSF.com]

Saw the MSL video, which was similar to the MER video. It was awesome. Will try to get a copy

[MarsEngineer]

Yes Doug is correct. On PHX, we actually had a better, more glancing view angle from MRO that increased the chances that we could see the PHX under its parachute. Despite the much smaller ellipse for MSL, MRO will be looking more straight down toward the ground (nadir) so the amount of "swept volume" is less than we had with PHX. So I think the odds will be about the same (I have not done the math comparison so take my words loosely please).

Hi Oersted, as far as I know, there is no MRO code update, only new sequences for the imaging and the attitude profile.

Pospa, with so many things that need to go right, skepticism is a natural and proper reaction. We live in a world where healthy skepticism is needed for success. As Adam points out in the video, if you stand back and look at all of this, one could and should be skeptical. Only by thinking critically every day about failure modes might we find a pathway to success. (Say hi to the "Cosmo gang" in CZ for me.)

On that note, one of my more odd (recent) jobs as chief engineer (which is a bit like chief of "odds and ends") is to help coordinate the contingency plans for what might happen if we lose the signal(s) from the vehicle during or just after EDL. For example, on a good day the EDL team will be tired, happy and ready to celebrate or sleep. On a bad day I need to make sure that they instead come back to work after a short sleep and help analyze the data and (UHF and X-band) signals so that they might inform the surface team about the state of the rover and perhaps allow us to regain communication with the rover. Of course losing the signals during EDL is not exactly a great sign, but we all know that there are real failure modes and conditions where we lose the signals and yet the rover will land safely. In some (fault) cases the first time we would hear from the rover would be a day or so later. (bring in the antacid!). I am also working with the MRO gang to see when we might get a post-landed HiIRSE picture. The geometries are not great until a week later, but we may try something earlier. Working on it.

That I have some time to do this is a good sign. We still have a lot of "paper work" to close out and we are madly doing that too. (Yeah, we will still land regardless of the status of the paper, but we are trying to keep our promises.)

Ok, enough procrastination ... must ... get .... back ... to .... work.

I'll stop by again in a week or so.

-Rob