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Ok, so it's no secret that I'm a huge space geek, especially anything pertaining to Mars. Fortunately for me, Jet Propulsion Labs is just down the freeway from me, and they run the Mars Rovers and the upcoming Mars Science Lab mission. A couple of years back, I met the guy who drives the rovers and we kept in contact via Twitter. A few weeks ago, I asked if he could give me and a friend a tour of the place. He said he'd love to. 
So yesterday morning, my friend and I headed up to JPL. He met us there in the visitor's center, and took us around the campus. His girlfriend, who works on the MSL, joined us as well, which was fun because I knew her from Twitter, too. Then two more people joined us, one of whom I ALSO knew (my friend was beginning to suspect that i knew everybody at JPL. So not true. I only know 4 of them).
We got to see the MSL (photo 1) and the Sky Crane in the clean room as they were being prepped to ship to Florida for launch in November (which I'm hoping to see: MSL is the first project I've followed from development, and it's my baby.
) We also got to see several of the rover models (photos 2 and 3) that are used for various simulations, lots of cool panoramas of the Martian landscape, complete with narration about exactly why each one was so cool, and got to wear a rover wheel as a hat while trying not to laugh because we weren't really supposed to be in that particular room and there was a security guard on the other side of the wall.
But the best part? We got to sit in on the daily SOWG (Science Operations Work Group) meeting where they planned the rover's next day!! and it was lead, via webcam, by STEVE FRAKKIN' SQUYRES, the dude who is responsible for Martian exploring as we know it today. Yes, I nearly swooned. It was amazing. Even though I only understood a tiny bit of what was said.
I had been working on a painting (photo 4) memorializing the journey of the Spirit rover (love that little machine!) and presented it to my friend. It's now hanging in the room (photo 5) where they program the rover's drives.
Best. Day. Ever. (Well, except for the day of the shuttle launch I was at. But not by much.
)
So yesterday morning, my friend and I headed up to JPL. He met us there in the visitor's center, and took us around the campus. His girlfriend, who works on the MSL, joined us as well, which was fun because I knew her from Twitter, too. Then two more people joined us, one of whom I ALSO knew (my friend was beginning to suspect that i knew everybody at JPL. So not true. I only know 4 of them).
We got to see the MSL (photo 1) and the Sky Crane in the clean room as they were being prepped to ship to Florida for launch in November (which I'm hoping to see: MSL is the first project I've followed from development, and it's my baby.
) We also got to see several of the rover models (photos 2 and 3) that are used for various simulations, lots of cool panoramas of the Martian landscape, complete with narration about exactly why each one was so cool, and got to wear a rover wheel as a hat while trying not to laugh because we weren't really supposed to be in that particular room and there was a security guard on the other side of the wall. But the best part? We got to sit in on the daily SOWG (Science Operations Work Group) meeting where they planned the rover's next day!! and it was lead, via webcam, by STEVE FRAKKIN' SQUYRES, the dude who is responsible for Martian exploring as we know it today. Yes, I nearly swooned. It was amazing. Even though I only understood a tiny bit of what was said.
I had been working on a painting (photo 4) memorializing the journey of the Spirit rover (love that little machine!) and presented it to my friend. It's now hanging in the room (photo 5) where they program the rover's drives.
Best. Day. Ever. (Well, except for the day of the shuttle launch I was at. But not by much.
)
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