There is so much going on today on the first day of science operations, it’s almost too much to follow all of it! The DeepWorker submersibles arrived from Vancouver, and the expert team from Nuytco ensured they were guided safely into the water. The team was on hand to see the subs launched into Pavilion Lake, enabling another season of successful science and exploration. Photos from the launch are available here: http://www.pavilionlake.com/deepworker-launch-2009.php
The NASA Mobile Mission Control Center was on site when I arrived, and the whole team was working hard to set up the lab facilities, enable the communications systems and WiFi network that covers the lake, and get camp set up for our field season.
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- Marc Seibert setting up communications systems outside the MMCC
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- Morning meeting in the NASA MMCC
UBC-Gavia also went for a late Saturday night test-flight, complete with a new navigation system provided by Art Trembanis. This navigation system enables very high resolution mapping of the bottom of the lakebed that will contribute to our understanding of the microbialite distribution in the lake.
Today we also welcomed Shad Valley-UBC campus, (www.shad.ca) remotely in via videoconference. The Shads (students at Shad Valley) will be following our mission and interacting with our team via Skype, analogous to how mission control would interact with an outpost on the moon. They will have the opportunity to ask our scientists about our findings at the lake, and in the process, learn about analog science and exploration research.
Things are moving at light-speed around the Lake, and lots of science is upcoming for tomorrow. The first DeepWorker flights will be piloted by Mike Gernhardt and Margarita Marinova (who both just arrived this afternoon), kicking off our season of underwater exploration.
Stay tuned, we’re just getting started here at Pavilion Lake!
-Ben
