Updates Dawn Mission News

Notebook · Dec 4, 2008

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.asp

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_11_26_08.asp

N.

Notebook · Feb 2, 2009

Journal entry.

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_1_27_09.asp

N.

SiberianTiger · Feb 10, 2009

The today's simulated view of Mars as seen from the Dawn:

tblaxland · Feb 17, 2009

Predicted closest approach to Mars: 549km at 2009-02-18 00:28 UTC (2009-02-17 19:28 EST)

BrianJ · Feb 17, 2009

Dawn flyby of Mars scenario, using latest vectors from Horizons converted by Tony Dunn's cfgData.exe. Requires [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3459"]"Dawn" add-on[/ame], begins at 23:03:01 UTC, 17th Feb 2009 :

Code:

BEGIN_DESC
END_DESC
 
BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
  System Sol
  Date MJD 54879.9604268862
END_ENVIRONMENT
 
BEGIN_FOCUS
  Ship Dawn
END_FOCUS
 
BEGIN_CAMERA
  TARGET Dawn
  MODE Extern
  POS 24.81 25.78 -5.33
  TRACKMODE GlobalFrame
  FOV 50.00
END_CAMERA
 
BEGIN_HUD
  TYPE Orbit
  REF AUTO
END_HUD
 
BEGIN_MFD Left
  TYPE Orbit
  PROJ Ship
  FRAME Ecliptic
  ALT
  REF Earth
END_MFD
 
BEGIN_MFD Right
  TYPE Surface
  SPDMODE 1
END_MFD
 
BEGIN_SHIPS
Dawn:Vessels/Dawn/Dawn
  STATUS Orbiting Mars
  RPOS 11151074.72 6288945.07 -13924758.02
  RVEL -2285.551 -29.802 2395.614
  AROT -40.43 -56.91 43.28
  PRPLEVEL 0:1.000 1:0.999
  NAVFREQ 0 0
  ENG 0 0.0900
  AUTOATT 0
  AUTOREF 
  SPR 0 0.9969
  COVER 0 0.0000
  SOLP 1 1.0000
  XENON 425.000000
END
END_SHIPS
 
BEGIN_ExtMFD
END

And a couple of "Kodak moments" from around c/a

Cheers,
Brian

Notebook · Feb 17, 2009

Dawn Mission E-News

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[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]Dawn Mission Outreach E-Bulletin, February 2009

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]NASA SPACECRAFT FALLING FOR MARS [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]Launched in September of 2007, and propelled by any one of a trio of hyper-efficient ion engines, NASA's Dawn spacecraft passed the orbit of Mars last summer. At that time, the asteroid belt (where Dawn's two targets, asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres reside), had never been closer. In early July the spacecraft began to lose altitude, falling back towards the inner solar system. Then on October 31, 2008, after 270 days of almost continuous thrusting, the ion drive turned off. [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]"Not only are our thrusters off and are we dropping in altitude, we are plunging toward Mars," said Marc Rayman, the Dawn project's chief engineer from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "And everybody here on Dawn could not be happier."

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]By flying a spacecraft close by a large planet and its large gravity field, some of the planet's speed as it orbits the sun is transferred to the spacecraft. In Dawn's case, it is using the Red Planet's tremendous angular momentum (the speed at which Mars orbits the sun) to give it a little extra oomph.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]"A big oomph actually," said Rayman.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]To read NASA's Dawn Mission News Release in full, go to: [/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/news/dawnf-20090212.html[/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]To participate actively in Dawn's Mars Flyby, join the Dawn Challenge: [/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/feature_stories/mars_challenge.asp[/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]Read Marc Rayman's February 12, 2009, Dawn Journal: [/FONT][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_2_12_09.asp[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]TELL US WHAT YOU THINK[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]The Dawn Education and Public Outreach team is continually seeking ways to improve the mission Web site and is eager to receive your feedback. Please share your thoughts by completing a brief survey athttp://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/13d56g382d7?paction=resume.[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]Please forward this e-mail to others interested in NASA missions. We welcome new subscribers! Visit our Web site and join the Dawn mission e-news mailing list at [FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnMedia/e_news.asp.[/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]*************************************************************************************************************************************************************
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Dawn Mission Outreach E-News features information about the mission, its outreach Web site, and products, services, and materials available from the Dawn Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) team. Dawn is the ninth Discovery mission in NASA's Science Mission Directorate and is a collaborative partnership made up of the University of California, Los Angeles; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Orbital Sciences Corporation; Los Alamos National Laboratory; German Aerospace Center; Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research; Italian Space Agency; and Italian National Institute of Astrophysics. Dawn outreach materials are developed under contract by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Denver, CO.[/FONT]
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2552 · Feb 18, 2009

*facepalm*

I wanted to do the flyby in real time, but I completely forgot and missed it! Oh well, I can still do it anyway with the scenario.

Notebook · Mar 4, 2009

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]Dawn Mission Outreach E-Bulletin: Webinar, March 7, 2009

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]JOIN US ONLINE SATURDAY, MARCH 7 FOR THE NASA DAWN MARS FLYBY EDUCATOR WORKSHOP WEBINAR![/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif]

[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]Join NASA Dawn mission scientists along with educators from around the country in a set of convergent workshops. The Dawn spacecraft flew by Mars February 17, 2009, at which time the spacecraft executed special maneuvers to shift its direction into the correct orbital plane for encountering its first target, the asteroid Vesta. Dawn's lead mission scientists and chief engineer will share key updates, an overview of Dawn's science and instrumentation, and how the mission will inform us of the origins of the solar system as a part of the larger, site specific workshops. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]The Dawn Mars Flyby Webinar will highlight the scientists' presentations.
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]Webinar Agenda:[/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]* 9:30-10:00 (PST)-Chris Russell, Dawn Principal Investigator * 10:15-10:45 (PST)-Carol Raymond, Dawn Deputy Principal Investigator[/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]* 10:45-11:15 (PST)-Marc Rayman, Dawn Chief Engineer[/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]For more information and Webinar registration go to:https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/773025932[/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]For questions regarding the Webinar, contact Joe Wise, NASA's Dawn Mission Education and Public Outreach Manager, New Roads School, at [email protected] or call 310-828-5582.[/FONT]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]For general information about the extended workshop for educators, go to: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/getInvolved/mga_ed_conf.asp, or contact Whitney Cobb at [email protected].[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]TELL US WHAT YOU THINK[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif]

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[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]The Dawn Education and Public Outreach team is continually seeking ways to improve the mission Web site and is eager to receive your feedback. Please share your thoughts by completing a brief survey at http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/13d56g382d7?paction=resume.[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif]

[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]Please forward this e-mail to others interested in NASA missions. We welcome new subscribers! Visit our Web site and join the Dawn mission e-news mailing list at [FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnMedia/e_news.asp.[/FONT]
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]*************************************************************************************************************************************************************
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Dawn Mission Outreach E-News features information about the mission, its outreach Web site, and products, services, and materials available from the Dawn Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) team. Dawn is the ninth Discovery mission in NASA's Science Mission Directorate and is a collaborative partnership made up of the University of California, Los Angeles; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Orbital Sciences Corporation; Los Alamos National Laboratory; German Aerospace Center; Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research; Italian Space Agency; and Italian National Institute of Astrophysics. Dawn outreach materials are developed under contract by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Denver, CO.[/FONT]
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Notebook · Aug 25, 2009

Dawn Mission Outreach E-News, 23rd Edition August 2009

DAWN'S EDUCATION ISSUE

Psssst! Educators! It's August... and do we have Exciting classroom materials for You!

Highlighting...

New hands-on activities that help Kids see the WOW scientists see!

o Vesta in 3D: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnKids/vesta3D.asp
Career Connections!

o Explore cool career paths: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/people/careers/index.asp
Dynamic On-Line Interactives

o Find a Meteorite: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/Meteorite/index.asp

o Ion Propulsion Engine:
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_engine_interactive/index.html
o GRaND Interactive: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/GRaND_inter.asp
o Flashbacks:
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnCommunity/flashbacks/Dawn_flashback.swf
Engaging, Standards-aligned, Content Modules that give you everything you need:

o History and Discovery of Asteroids!

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnClassrooms/1_hist_dawn/index.asp
o Ion Propulsion! http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnClassrooms/2_ion_prop/index.asp
Compelling Mission News (as always!)
All make Dawn's Cutting Edge Science Come Alive!

Read below for more detail, and cruise Dawn's education page: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.asp

DAWN MISSION HIGHLIGHTS

MISSION STATUS: DAWN is Thrusting Nominally with the Ion Propulsion System

August 3, 2009: The first Vesta scenario test executed successfully in the testbed last week, and the flight team reviewed the results. This test of a flight-like Vesta orbit sequence is an important step forward towards validation of the design and operations processes that will be used at Vesta.

To see previous mission status updates, click here: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.asp.

DAWN IS IN "QUIET CRUISE"

JUST HOW QUIET IS QUIET?

From Dawn's Chief Engineer, Marc Rayman:

Shhhh! Dawn is in "quiet cruise," and we do not want to disturb it. The indefatigable spacecraft is devoting most of its time to thrusting with its ion propulsion system, applying a gentle but persistent pressure to its trajectory around the Sun. With patience, it will reshape its orbit to match those of the mysterious and intriguing protoplanets, Vesta and Ceres. In order to conduct its detailed explorations of each of these exotic worlds, Dawn will accompany them around the Sun, visiting with Vesta in 2011-2012 and rendezvousing with Ceres in 2015.
- Excerpted from Chief Engineer Marc Rayman's Dawn Journal, July 28, 2009.

To learn more about how the elegant ion propulsion system moves Dawn to its destinations, go to:

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_7_28_09.asp.

CAREER CONNECTIONS

MISSION PROGRAM SECRETARY, VALERIE McKAY

Valerie McKay has been the Dawn Mission Program Secretary at JPL for three years, and according to Chief Engineer Marc Rayman, "She lets me get my job done!" Valerie manages all of the non-technical aspects of the program, keeps everything running smoothly - and she does it with humor: "I enjoy the variety of things I do in a given day. I'm not stuck in an office doing one thing. Thankfully, I'm an organized person. If I weren't, I'd be in big trouble... It's nice to work with degreed people who are not status conscious-people, who do silly things on a whim, but are brainiacs! They make it all worthwhile... I appreciate the fact that my staff trusts me and allows me to do my job. Autonomy. I like that, I like that a lot."

Valerie describes her unique career path and her work for Dawn in her full interview: http://www.dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/people/mckay_V/interview.asp.

For links to other intriguing Dawn Mission interviews, go to: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/people/interviews_archive.asp.
To launch a career investigation in your middle or high school classroom, explore the activity Career Connections: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/people/careers/index.asp.

CHECK OUT DAWN'S LIVELY EDUCATION PAGES

DAWN KIDS: Vesta Gets a 3-D Spin!

Hey you! Parents and out-of-school-time educators! We've developed a new set of activities just for your kids in 3rd - 8th grades. With an engaging Explorers' Guide that kids may read independently or with you, and two fun activities that help students visualize Vesta's rotation as it orbits the Sun, help kids feel the excitement and envision the larger science objectives of the Dawn Mission: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnKids/vesta3D.asp.

Aster's Hoity Toity Belt now in Audio Format

Jacinta Behne, author of Aster's Hoity Toity Belt, has now recorded the story, a fun jaunt to the asteroid belt for Dawn Kids that offers both science and fantasy.
Listen in at: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnKids/stories.asp.

DAWN CLASSROOM: What Educators are Saying!

Dawn has a menu of engaging, standards-based modules and activities that help students build a life-long understanding and appreciation for space science ready for integration in your 5th-12th grade classroom. Pilot and field tested by teachers and kids, we include teacher guides as well as student guides, and always standards alignment. Here's what students and fellow educators are saying:

I could turn my students loose with the web-based, ion engine demonstrations in the Dawn Mission lessons. Even my cynical, ready-for-college seniors found it interesting to "play" with the engine design parameters. -high school physics teacher
Learning about Vesta was fun when we did the model with the clay and the asteroid flipbook - and it made sense! -Cindy, Colorado 6th grader
The primary strength for me is the real-life example of a technology in use that is so simple but which has such profound impact. -physical science teacher

Review our rich range of materials at: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnClassrooms/index.asp.

DAWN DICTIONARY: Audio Format Coming This Fall!

Science vocabulary can intimidate kids, and the research says our students need all the rich vocabulary support they can get. Dawn Dictionary offers an important resource for our classroom materials. Further, when kids come across key vocabulary in our interactives, such as Find a Meteorite and Ion Propulsion*, the words are hot-linked straight to the dictionary.

Soon kids will be able to listen along as they read, too, hearing both accurate pronunciation as well as a clear definition of every word in the Dawn Dictionary. In response to teacher feedback, we are improving Dawn's education resources so the great science we are promoting is accessible to more and more terrific kids!

Listen in: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/dictionary/index.asp
*Explore Find a Meteorite: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/meteorite/index.asp or
Ion Propulsion: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ion_engine_interactive/index.html

JOIN US AT STEMAPALOOZA and

COLORADO SCIENCE CONFERENCE

STEMapalooza at the Colorado Convention Center, October 16-17, Denver, Colorado

We will be showcasing Dawn interactives, career connections, and curricula that fit informal science venues (after school programs, museums, summer camps), as well as sharing mission-related educational materials.

Colorado Science Conference, November 19-20, Denver, Colorado

Dawn's education and public outreach team will participate in the Colorado Science Conference, the annual conference sponsored by the Colorado Association of Science Teachers, at the Denver Merchandise Mart, November 19-20, 2009. Dawn Classrooms will be the star of this show. We will be presenting materials to support the conference themes, Explore the Nature of Science and Explore Science Beyond the Classroom, as well as sharing mission-related educational materials.

Find out more at:

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.asp

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK, FORWARD OUR NEWS, SUBSCRIBE!!

The Dawn Education and Public Outreach team is continually seeking ways to improve the mission Web site and is eager to receive your feedback. Please share your thoughts by completing a brief survey at https://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/13d56g382d7

Please feel free to forward this e-mail to others interested in NASA missions. We welcome new subscribers! Visit our Web site and join the Dawn mission e-news mailing list at

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/DawnMedia/e_news.asp.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Dawn Mission Outreach E-News features information about the mission, its outreach Web site, and products, services, and materials available from the Dawn Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) team. Dawn is the ninth Discovery mission in NASA's Science Mission Directorate and is a collaborative partnership made up of the University of California, Los Angeles; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Orbital Sciences Corporation; Los Alamos National Laboratory; German Aerospace Center; Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research; Italian Space Agency; and Italian National Institute of Astrophysics. Dawn outreach materials are developed under contract by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Denver, CO.

Notebook · Dec 15, 2009

[FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]DAWN ENTERS THE MAIN ASTEROID BELT [/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]JUST HOW BIG IS SPACE...IN SPACE?

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From Dawn's Chief Engineer, Marc Rayman: [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]
Dawn entered the main asteroid belt on November 13. As it ventures ever deeper into this vast space between Mars and Jupiter, it may be tempting to think of the spacecraft constantly dodging asteroids. In some science fiction movies, the huge rocky bodies are so close together that highly skilled piloting is required to avoid catastrophes. Now Dawn is guided by some of the most proficient interplanetary fliers this side of Pluto, but the reality is that accidental impacts are exceedingly unlikely. Space is huge, and as plentiful as asteroids are, the distances between them are tremendous.
- Excerpted from Chief Engineer Marc Rayman's Dawn Journal, November 27, 2009.

To learn more about how the how big space really is in Space, go to: [FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_11_27_09.asp[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]DAWN MISSION HIGHLIGHTS

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]November 30, 2009:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Dawn spacecraft thrust with its ion propulsion system for most of November, pausing for less than half a day each week to point its main antenna to Earth to both send data to and receive it from Earth. The mission control team completed preparations for some special activities the spacecraft will execute in December (so check back next month to learn more!).

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]To see previous mission status updates, click here:http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.asp[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]VIR: OUR LATEST MARVELOUS INTERACTIVE

(WE'RE NOT SHY)
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We are excited! For the Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (VIR) interactive, the Dawn E/PO team worked with Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics' public outreach team member, Livia Giacomini, and Bloom Animation to create an interactive that delicately draws out the complex happenings within that elegant instrument. First we watch the light travel through the telescope and into the spectrometer, where the light is split into its respective wavelengths. From there a gorgeous and colorful data cube of the Earth (thumbnail left - there is far lovelier detail in the actual interactive!) was developed that offers a 3-D representation of how those data are read and understood. It is a beauty.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Trust us - you have to see the VIR interactive in action for yourself! http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/VIR_inter.asp

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]DAWN'S IN THE MAIN ASTEROID BELT - [/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]SHOULD WE BE WORRIED?

[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]OK, Dawn's arrived in the main asteroid belt - should we be worried? Is Dawn likely to get smacked by, you know, an asteroid? The short answer is "NO!" [/FONT]

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Now that your worries are calmed, why don't you visit Dawn's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to find out why we don't have to be worried for our intrepid spacecraft's safety, as well as answers to other questions your fellow space enthusiasts have had.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Visit: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/faqs.asp[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]We even urge you to ask your own questions! http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/ask_scientist/mailToDawnScientist.asp[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Further, Chief Engineer Marc Rayman has a beautiful explanation full of analogies to help us understand just how safe Dawn is, even whizzing through an asteroid belt. Here's another plug for this month's compelling Dawn Journal: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_11_27_09.asp[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]THE MAIN ASTEROID BELT: THE REAL SCOOP[/FONT]

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Just what is the main asteroid belt? Why is it located where it is? Why is it structured the way it is? What bodies reside in it? How do we study them? Answers to these questions help us understand what compelled scientists and engineers to send Dawn speeding through the inner solar system on its trajectory to the main asteroid belt to visit two of the largest protoplanets, Vesta and Ceres. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]

Here's an article that offers a clear, intriguing and accessible foundation to answer those fundamental questions. Author Carolyn Crow is a doctoral student who works with Dawn Education and Public Outreach Director and co-investigator, Dr. Lucy McFadden at the University of Maryland.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Visit: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/science/pdfs/asterbelt.pdf[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]CAREER CONNECTIONS - VESTA DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, STACY WEINSTEIN-WIESS

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]

"Everything Vesta!" That's how Stacy Weinstein-Weiss describes her role managing Vesta's mission development. Making it to Vesta is a really big deal - it's taking Dawn three years to get to the asteroid, after all. But the work to get ready for Vesta? Yikes! Preparation entails designing and testing plans for every detail of the science and engineering at Vesta. "We are constantly balancing workload between flying the spacecraft and planning for Vesta. It's easy to get caught up in flying the spacecraft, so it's my job is to make Vesta a priority. Fortunately, the team cares a great deal about the Vesta mission, and so there has been a lot of good participation." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Stacy reports that her love of space science started early: "I was 3 years old when Apollo landed humans on the Moon, and my father sat me on my 'blanky' in front of the TV and said, 'Watch this. You'll remember this someday.' I was hooked. I used to write stories about being a rocket designer in fifth grade. I've had other ambitions-architect, yacht designer, author, archaeologist, catcher for the Chicago Cubs-but I always floated back to space exploration."

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Stacy describes her unique career path and her work for Dawn in her full interview:[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/people/interviews_archive.asp[/FONT]

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]AU REVOIR, COLLEAGUE[/FONT]

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Valerie McKay was the Dawn Mission Program Secretary at JPL for three years; Chief Engineer Marc Rayman reported, "She lets me get my job done!" Valerie has moved on to new adventures working on the Europa Jupiter system mission. We thank her for her service on behalf of Dawn and wish her the best![/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]<A name=LETTER.BLOCK9>[FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif]

[FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,Serif]TELL US WHAT YOU THINK, FORWARD OUR NEWS, SUBSCRIBE!!

[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]The Dawn Education and Public Outreach team is continually seeking ways to improve the mission Web site and is eager to receive your feedback. Please share your thoughts by completing a brief survey at http://survey.mcrel.org/scripts/qweb.cgi?4CFEF46.

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Notebook · Feb 17, 2010

[FONT=Arial Narrow,Arial MT Condensed Light,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! NO, IT'S VESTA![/FONT]

[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Garamond,Times New Roman,Times,serif]The most prominent asteroid in the sky is currently yours for the perusing with binoculars -- and perhaps even the naked eye. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 17, Vesta, the first target of the Dawn mission, reaches what astronomers like to call "opposition." With Vesta at opposition, the asteroid is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit. Vesta is expected to shine at magnitude 6.1. That brightness should make it visible to interested parties brandishing telescopes or binoculars, and even those blessed with excellent vision and little or no light pollution or clouds in their vicinity. Vesta will be visible in the eastern sky in the constellation Leo.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]For more information about Vesta in opposition, go to: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-051.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]For more information about Dawn, visit: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/.[/FONT]

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Notebook · May 13, 2010

Scotty: "I've never seen anything like it--and ion propulsion at that!"

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04may_dawn/

Notebook · Jun 11, 2010

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-192&cid=release_2010-192

PASADENA, Calif.-- Deep in the heart of the asteroid belt, on its way to the first of the belt's two most massive inhabitants, NASA's ion-propelled Dawn spacecraft has eclipsed the record for velocity change produced by a spacecraft's engines.
The previous standard-bearer for velocity change, NASA's Deep Space 1, also impelled by ion propulsion, was the first interplanetary spacecraft to use this technology. The Deep Space 1 record fell on Saturday, June 5, when the Dawn spacecraft's accumulated acceleration over the mission exceeded 4.3 kilometers per second (9,600 miles per hour).

Ion engines, is there is anything they can't do?

N.

RisingFury · Jun 11, 2010

Go Dawn! Go Dawn! :probe:

Gotta respect Deep Space 1 though. It was just a technology demonstrator and still accomplished some cool stuff!

Among the 11 new technologies was the Ion Engine, AutoNav, which used the locations of bright stars and asteroids to navigate, Remote Agent, which is an advanced software designed to automatically identify and correct or circumvent problems and the carrier signal, designed to lessen the burden on deep space arrays for tracking.

Notebook · Jun 11, 2010

Didn;t know much about DS1, especially its transponder:

Beacon monitor operations
The SDST generates the tones needed for
beacon monitor operations
11, conceived to reduce
the large demand that would be expected on the
DSN if many missions were in flight
simultaneously, as envisioned by NASA. In
beacon monitor operations, an on-board data
summarization system determines the overall
spacecraft health. The system then transmits one
of four tones to indicate to the operations team the
urgency of the spacecraft’s need for DSN
coverage. Without data modulation, these tones
are detected easily with small, low-cost systems,
reserving the large, more expensive DSN stations
for command radiation and data reception when a
beacon indicates that such services are needed.
The four tones correspond to i) the spacecraft not
needing any assistance because all is well; ii)
informing the ground that the spacecraft has
encountered an unusual but not threatening event,
so a DSN track should be scheduled when
convenient; iii) alerting the ground that
intervention is needed to prevent the loss of
important data or to assist in resolving a threat to
the mission, so DSN coverage should occur soon;
and iv) requiring immediate assistance because the
spacecraft has encountered a mission-threatening
emergency it was unable to solve. In each case,
when tracking is initiated, the data summarization
system provides a synopsis of the pertinent

spacecraft data.

From
http://nmp.nasa.gov/ds1/DS1_Primary_Mission.pdf

Nicely done.

N.

Orbinaut Pete · Jul 7, 2010

SpaceRef: "Dawn Journal: Dawn 9.0".

Orbinaut Pete · Jul 28, 2010

The Planetary Society Blog: "Dawn Journal: A Year from Vesta".

Orbinaut Pete · Aug 24, 2010

SPACE.com: "NASA Gears Up for Big Asteroid Encounter".

Orbinaut Pete · Sep 3, 2010

The Planetary Society Blog: "Journal: Getting warmer, farther from the Sun"?

---------- Post added 3rd Sep 2010 at 03:58 PM ---------- Previous post was 2nd Sep 2010 at 10:24 PM ----------

Space Daily: "Dawn Throttles Down".

Orbinaut Pete · Sep 28, 2010

The Planetary Society Blog: "Dawn Journal: Third anniversary in space, and how to map Vesta".

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