Despite being several years into our mission, we’re still seeing fresh faces on the HiRISE team. Recently we’ve added some new hires: student validators, researchers, and Targeting Specialists (with whom I work the most). We also continue to involve new scientists in operations – Participating Scientists or post-docs who haven’t gone through the planning process before. They come to HiROC to train during their first cycle, so we have a conveyor belt of visiting scientists as well.

The first Monday in June when they all started was krazy – lots of new people wandering around, office chaos and computer confusion…. By now they’re settling in and things are cooling down somewhat, although at least for the Targeting Specialists, we consider it about a 6-month process to get fully up to speed. In the first few weeks, their eyes are usually glazed over with information overload. At this point, they probably feel like they’ve been dropped in the hot oil of confusion (it’s also 106F in Tucson, which doesn’t help), then dipped in sticky, overly detailed procedures. Sweet procedures….

While we go through this training, the new kids are keeping us veterans on our toes – I keep finding places where the procedures we told them to follow are unclear, there’s a hole in the middle where steps are missing, outdated, or just plain wrong! So it’s really a shared learning experience. Besides, it’s always good to have some fresh, hot ideas and different perspectives to keep us from getting jaded. or dangerously skinny.

I’m excited for them – the sugary thrill when their first commands execute on the spacecraft, the pride when their first beautiful images come down, the feeling of fullness and mastery when they finally become fluent in the foreign language of acronyms…. Other firsts I’m sure they’re not looking forward to are their first mistake, their first late night, their first bad image…. So not everything is warm with honeyed nostalgia.

I’m sure they’ll all do a wonderful job, though, and be valuable additions to the team. In the meantime, though, I could really use some donuts…. Welcome, newbies!

We’re just finishing up four days of having the whole HiRISE team visiting us here in Tucson. It’s been a great team meeting! We had updates on operations, and heard a lot about science results from HiRISE images. Some CRISM and THEMIS team members participated, too, so we got to see what other teams are doing and talk about collaborating and using multiple data sets. People are doing really exciting things with HiRISE data!

Also, our team is really growing!

You’ll notice a lot of new faces compared to a few years ago!

(more…)

It seems that things are (dare I say?) settling down into a routine here at HiROC. As the cycles progress, we get a little better with each one: software tools are being developed, our procedures are being refined, and we’re becoming more adept and making fewer mistakes (hopefully!). Of course, there are always little interruptions and semi-emergencies that preclude relaxing too much.
(more…)