Landing day is 29 days away as I type this message. Where there is a rush to get that last test in, to check off that last validation box and verify that last piece of code, this is also the only time we have to take some time off.

I took a second week off, and then worked the second shift last week. With three engineers, that's been the cycle the last couple of months, one off, one on days, and the last on nights. We have had the RA team here almost non-stop. MECA had a week completely unto itself.

RAC and SSI provide plenty of tests that we can drop in between sequences, while the other team is setting up for the next round. We have one more ORT left. It will be short at only three days, covering EDL and Sols 0, 1 and 2 (Sols being a day on Mars). This week will be used to prep for that test.

The boss is on vacation this week, and one of the other engineers is working nights. I'm providing backup to the third engineer as he's on console running with the hardware. I'm also running simulations. And the tests keep rolling in.