Spacecraft Updates and Songs from the Universe!

Just a few more updates as RBSP near the end of it's Commissioning. After launch we have 60 days to get all of the instruments deployed correctly, doors opening, etc and collecting good science data. Then we can start our Primary Science phase.

Here is an absolutely stunning long exposure of the launch.

The picture was featured here as the "Astronomy Picture of the Day": http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120902.html.

And here is a really good write up about our launch and early orbit operations, with a nice video of the launch. http://storify.com/lydiazuraw/radiation-belt-storm-probes-post-launch-press-conf

So now that we have deployed many of our instruments and turned them on, we are starting to get some feedback on science data (this video has some of the 'sounds' from the radiation belts that we are getting back) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkTL2Ug6llE&feature=share.

In a couple weeks, we will move in to unattended operations, which means no more bizarre night shifts for me, and I'm moving on to another project. I've worked on this since about a year before Zoey was even born, and I am extremely proud of it's accomplishments already.

So wahoo for space. :)

Fountain Hair Dreams are Dashed

Even before we knew we were having a second child, and way before we knew she was a she, we always marveled at the tiny girls we would see with the fountain hair. And we couldn't wait to have one!

So Zoey was born, and her wispy hair finally grew some and voila!

I mean isn't that awesome? Except, it usually lasts for about 10 minutes, then it flops over, and then she pulls it out. Her hair is just too fine. So most of the time she had bangs way down in her eyes, full of dirt and food and boogers and who knows what. They did look good swooshed to the side, but Zoey wouldn't keep up with the swooshing.

Eventually my mother in law was right (dang it!), she needed to get her bangs cut. Which led us to here:

And literally three snips later to here:

So whoohooo for better looking hair.
Dammit for useless fountain pigtails.