Metis personnel on both coasts took part in a historic launch day on October 23, 2023. The Metis Technology Partners (MTP) Pad Safety Team was instrumental in making history by having two launch teams support two critical SpaceX launches on the same day on October 13, 2023. The team provided Operations Safety Managers and Pad Safety Supervisors for the NASA Psyche launch off of SLC 39A at Kennedy Space Center and later that same day for the Starlink 6-22 launch from SLC 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Also, behind the scenes the Pad Safety Team provided transportation support, oversite to hazardous operation, and development of roadblock access letters ensuring public safety. The Pad Safety Team supports every launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, all Government launches at the Kennedy Space Center and any landing on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Metis Pad Safety Program Manager Tom Michaud stated “I’m very proud to work with this group of safety professionals”. This is the first time SpaceX launched two missions on the Eastern Range on the same day.
At the same time on the West coast for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Metis (as part of Peraton’s DSN Maintenance and Operations (M&O) contract) provided Network Operations support for the launch and initial acquisition of the Psyche vehicle using JPL’s Deep Space Network (DSN). The Metis DSN M&O personnel will continue to support the mission planning, network operations and critical events for the Psyche mission, a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
