[All] SHARC in the water... field

[Zavaleta, Jhony R. (ARC-SGG)]

After a 15+ hour, uneventful flight in a plane less than half full, Caitlin and I landed in Sydney, Australia as the advance setup team for SHARC and started our 14-day quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in Sydney. We were checked-in, not-given a room-key, and escorted into our rooms. As expected, this week has had a very repetitive and predictable daily routine, and we expect it to be the same:


  *   A knock at the door around 0800, open the door and find a paper bag with your breakfast. No one in sight.
  *   Around 0900, another knock at the door. Put your mask on, open the door, a person in uniform stands there and asks about your health, any covid symptoms, and whether you need anything.
  *   A little later, an email from the US consulate in Canberra, asks the same health question.
  *   A little later than that, a phone call from the Australians, asks the same health question.
  *   Around noon, another knock on the door, open the door and find a paper bag with your lunch. No one in sight.
  *   Around 1600, another uniformed person shows up to check on you.
  *   At around 1800 hours, dinner gets dropped off. (These people are ninjas)

This routine repeats every day.

Keeping things interesting prior to departure, a team member was re-assigned to another project about a week before transit. That other project was re-scheduled at the very last minute and he found himself looking for a flight to Sydney (no international flights into Adelaide at the moment) only a couple of days ago. Fortunately, since all the paperwork for his arrival had been done in advance, it only took a couple of phone calls and emails to ensure that his arrival was not going to run into obstacles. He arrives and starts his quarantine in Sydney, at the same hotel where we are, today (November 16, local); and will transit to Adelaide on November 30.

Work keeps us focused and busy, making the day go by a little faster. A few days after we departed the US, the rest of SHARC began heading to Australia in three groups: one group, transiting in a chartered airplane, departed on November 12, and arrived November 14 (local). The other two groups consist of NASA aircraft, the JSC’s G-III (N992NA) and LaRC’s G-III (N520NA). They both departed their respective home bases on November 11th, and arrived in Adelaide on November 15th (N992NA) and 16th (N520NA). Their transit was uneventful. The team is in good spirits.

With plenty of detailed planning and coordination to be done between the aircrews, the instrument teams, and JAXA, it should help make the time go by a little faster. Our week ahead is already filling up with meetings and training sessions. Hayabusa-2 is scheduled to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on December 5th (Pacific/December 6th Adelaide), we plan to have two rehearsal flights before the actual event.

Caitlin and I exit quarantine on November 23rd and will transit to Adelaide the very next day to start final preparations ahead of the rest of the team exiting quarantine.

Thanks to all of you that have helped us make it to this point.


Best regards,

ESPO team in Australia,



Caitlin and Jhony

JHONY R. ZAVALETA
Project Manager - NASA Earth Science Project Office

MS 232-22, Bldg. N232, Room N232-242
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field CA 94035

Cell:     +1 (650) 224-4825 (worldwide) / Office: +1 (650) 604-0125

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