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EXTENDED MISSION UPDATE Space Rescue Makes Comet Encounter Possible Pasadena - July 27, 2000 -  As NASA's Deep Space 1 propels itself through the solar system about 320 million kilometers (about 200 million miles) from Earth, the tiny spacecraft has been reenergized for a planned September 2001 encounter with Comet Borrelly. |
Initial results from DS1's flyby of Braille have uncovered a "family tree" mystery with Braille returning a spectrum reading similar to the main belt asteroid Vesta. In addition, the pictures returned indicate a world that has been splintered hard with Braille a "sliver" of rock or a clump of two or more distinct rocks orbiting together.
"Deep Space 1" despite a few problems is one of NASA and JPL's success stories of its faster better cheaper philosophy, Moreover the mission will ongoing impact on spacecraft design years to come writes Bruce Moomaw.
Deep Space 1 has spent most of the last three weeks engaged in activities to prepare for its encounters with two comets in 2001. Meanwhile, it has continued coasting in its orbit around the Sun, with its ion propulsion system turned off.
As scientists and science fiction buffs alike have long suspected, artificial intelligence software can indeed operate a spacecraft millions of miles from Earth.
Deep Space 1 has completed six weeks of ion thrusting boosting its speed by 300 meters per second - 13 times faster than conventional chemical thrusters would have achieved with the same fuel weight.
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ABOUT 9969 BRAILLE Ships of the Void 
Amor asteroid 1992 KD was discovered on May 27, 1992 by E. Helin and K. Lawrence with the 0.46m (18-inch) Schmidt telescope at Palomar during the Palomar Planet-Crossing Asteroid Survery. 1992 KD was first seen while it was traveling North by Northeast in Libra some 38 million kms away at a magnitude of 15.5. Deep Space 1 will pass within 10 kms of the asteroid which is believed to be up to 5 kms long.
PEPE GOES DEEP Deep Space One Gets A PEPE San Antonio, December 22, 1998 -
The plasma experiment for planetary exploration (PEPE) instrument, an advanced plasma sensor, is now activate aboard Deep Space 1 over 4.5 million kilometers away. DS1 will fly by asteroid 1992 KD and Comets Wilson-Harrington and Borrelly.ASTEROID SCIENCE Are Asteroids Dust Balls Eros - Dec 17, 1998 - 
An early question for NEAR is whether 433 Eros is covered in thick dust like the Martin moon Phobos as MGS has found.STARDUST MISSION NEWS A Pocket Full Of Stardust Cape Canaveral - February 4, 1999 -  NASA's Stardust mission, scheduled for launch Saturday, February 6, from Cape Canaveral, FL, will send a spacecraft flying through the cloud of dust that surrounds the nucleus of a comet - and, for the first time ever, bring cometary material back to Earth.NEAR MISSION NEWS Hero NEAR But Far Away Ithica - April 10, 1999 - 
A Cornell University astronomer who helped save a $150 million space mission last December was rewarded at a surprise party this week with a truly heavenly gift: A minor planet named in her honor.SPACEGUARD NEWS Spaceguard and the UN South Whitley - July 12, 1999 - 
With a lack of progress in getting SpaceGuard on to the national agenda's of the big powers, some are suggesting a UN SpaceGuard Office might break the logjam.DEEP SPACE ONE LINKS |