Clearly the solution to the challenges of 2020 is to be in space, far above earthly problems. We’re celebrating one year since our launch on October 10, and – once past the electrical grid shutdowns that made launch challenging -- ICON has had a pretty rewarding year. Mission operations have gone smoothly, overcoming all challenges that have come up, and implementing a lot of calibration activities to enhance the science mission. Our instruments have gotten great data which are now available to the public. A number of ICON-related articles have gone to press or are heading there shortly, see our publications. We’re looking forward to Fall AGU to share our science results with a broad audience.

The team working on ICON’s payload had a party over the weekend to commemorate their working together for the past year and their “empty nester” status now that the instrument has gone to Utah (Space Dynamics Lab) for testing and integration. UC Berkeley Electrical Engineer and party host Dorothy Gordon ordered the festive ICON cake from a local bakery. She said, “I had a great time working with the ICON-ICP (instrument control package) team and just wanted to get them all together again before we all drift off.” The send-off after their intensive work together takes place one year before ICON launches, so the cake could also be an “anti-birthday cake” celebrating ICON’s minus-one birthday!