Deep Space Jobs

NASA's mission to Pluto has been in the news as the craft named "New Horizons" finally reached the planetoid on July 14, 2015 after a nine years trip.

What happens to the folks on the team while they are waiting for the craft to reach its objective? Are they laid off for the five years between things actually happening, or are they paid a salary that continues during the in-between time? If they get a salary, I'm going to look into that sweet gig.

There are American scientists that have stayed on the space station for many consecutive months. Do they get overtime and holiday pay? Not such a sweet gig that I would sign up for it, but more of a "just wondering".

Quote: Ayecarumba

...planetoid...

That's offensive.

;)

Quote: Aye

What happens to the folks on the team while they are waiting for the craft to reach its objective? Are they laid off for the five years between things actually happening, or are they paid a salary that continues during the in-between time? If they get a salary, I'm going to look into that sweet gig.

Good question. I assume they have other jobs they work on in the interim. I also assume the craft needs observation and check ups on the way. Surely they don't shoot it off and just check back 5 years later.

Quote: Aye

There are American scientists that have stayed on the space station for many consecutive months. Do they get overtime and holiday pay? Not such a sweet gig that I would sign up for it, but more of a "just wondering".

Another good question. I assume it's like a trucker lol. Paid for the job, not necessarily "by time". Wonder what they get p/mile? ;)

Quote: Ayecarumba

What happens to the folks on the team while they are waiting for the craft to reach its objective?

I don't know, exactly, but I do know there's a lot to do on the trip. This is so for all space probes:

1) Check that it's on course and make course corrections as necessary. This isn't as easy as it sounds, as there's no GPS to tell you where the probe is. Also, the fuel onboard is limited and not to be expended without good reason. I've no idea how they determine the probe's position. A course correction might be made at the sight of any deviation, or some time later on (days, weeks).

2) Navigate the probe as needed. New horizons took a gravity-assist from Jupiter. Other probes had more complex routes, including Galileo, I think, which performed the maneuver twice around the Earth and once around Venus.

3) Check the probe's "health" (the state of its instruments, power, propulsion, coms, software, temperature etc.) and make fixes as/when needed, as far as that is even possible.

4) Perform observations en-route if any are required or planned, or if they can be squeezed in. I think one of the Voyagers was turned to take a photo of the Solar System when it was very, very far away from Earth.

Ever since these pictures have been coming back I can't stop dreaming about going there are walking on the planet, if that would be possible. I would sign up for a nine year trip for sure as long as I could bring my Mass kit with me.

Quote: Ayecarumba

What happens to the folks on the team while they are waiting for the craft to reach its objective?

Play Tetris?