Updates ISEE-3 Reboot Project

[ISProgram]

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Also known as the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft, the International Sun/Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) satellite, was launched August 12, 1978, by a Delta 2914. It was actually just one of three spacecraft ( there was a ISEE-1 and ISEE-2) of the ISEE (International Sun-Earth Explorer) international cooperative program between NASA and ESRO/ESA to study the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind.

Through a large series of events, ISEE-3 left its original Earth-Sun Lagrangian point halo orbit (it was the first to go to any of those points) and became the first spacecraft to visit a comet, flying past Comet Giacobini-Zinner in September 1985 and the famous Halley's Comet in March 1986, on both occasions flying through the cometary tail. After this, it performed a heliospheric mission. In May 1997, NASA ended the ICE mission, and had the probe shut down, leaving only the carrier signal operating.

However, ISEE-3 was not (entirely) abandoned. In 1999, NASA reconfirmed contact with the probe briefly. In 2008 (30 years after its launch, mind you), NASA established contact AGAIN (after realised they didn't shut it down in 1999) and found that all but one of its 13 experiments were still functioning, and that it still has enough propellant for 150 m/s of Δv. Interestingly, NASA had intended to return ISEE-3 to Earth (as in, the surface), and had/have already donated it to the Smithsonian.

In April 2014, the ISEE-3 Reboot Project was announced, possibly the first of its kind by civilian scientist. The intention of this project is to "contact the ISEE-3 (International Sun-Earth Explorer) spacecraft, command it to fire its engine and enter an orbit near Earth, and then resume its original mission" and that afterwards, to "facilitate the sharing and interpretation of all of the new data ISEE-3 sends back via crowd sourcing". On May 15, 2014, the project reached its crowdfunding goal of US$125,000, and a stretch goal of US$150,000 was reached shortly thereafter, with about US$159,502 raised by the final deadline. Clearly, people are interested.

In now, to the present, May, 29, 2014, where the project has announced that they are in command of the ISEE-3 spacecraft.

Hopefully, this thread shall cover all events that go on hereafter. Go ISEE-3!

 

[boogabooga]

It's still younger that the Voyagers

Wait, did NASA really expect enough of ISEE-3 to survive reentry to donate it to the Smithsonian, or was that decided when everyone still thought that the space shuttle was going to be magic weekly access to space?

 

[ISProgram]

It's still younger that the Voyagers

Wait, did NASA really expect enough of ISEE-3 to survive reentry to donate it to the Smithsonian, or was that decided when everyone still thought that the space shuttle was going to be magic weekly access to space?

I believe it to have been the Space Shuttle, though I am definitely not certain. ISEE-3 wouldn't survive reentry intact on its own.

I think, however, that one can say that ISEE-3 is possibly the only Smithsonian exhibit in space AND still operational. I sense a dispute later...:lol:

---------- Post added 05-31-14 at 02:09 AM ---------- Previous post was 05-30-14 at 02:44 AM ----------

NASA:
Citizen Scientists Successfully Communicate with Spacecraft

 

[RisingFury]

It's cool that ordinary citizens have access to hardware in space like that, but beyond publicity, what's the point of this reboot? Don't we have hardware currently operational capable of measuring the same things but with better accuracy?

 

[ISProgram]

It's cool that ordinary citizens have access to hardware in space like that, but beyond publicity, what's the point of this reboot? Don't we have hardware currently operational capable of measuring the same things but with better accuracy?

Well, it would be redundant, I think. We certainly do not have a probe like ISEE-3 at a Lagrangian point at the moment. Nor do we have any probe that can be redirected to another comet (Deep Impact and Stardust are dead). ISEE-3 may do one of these things or both) if the team is successful in bringing it back online.

The point is, no, we do not have a probe that could perform similarly to what ISSE-3 may do in the future, at the moment. Nor does NASA have the funding to build one. NASA reuses spacecraft for this exact reason, it saves money (Stardust-NExT or Deep Impact's EPOXI, for instance). The fact that the revived ISEE-3 would not be operated by NASA (I think) ad still return science data is all the better.

---------- Post added 06-01-14 at 12:49 AM ---------- Previous post was 05-31-14 at 07:03 PM ----------

 

[ISProgram]

ISEE-3 Reboot Updates!

SpaceNews: "Volunteers Take Command of Old NASA Craft, Which Might Crash into Moon"
The Atlantic: "Scientists Found a Way to Save a Long-Lost Spacecraft—Now It's Facing Its Biggest Test Yet"


From here:

06/03/14: Telemetry we have received from ISEE-3 shows that it is spinning at 19.16 rpm. The mission specification is 19.75 +/- 0.2 rpm. We have also learned that the spacecraft's attitude relative to the ecliptic is 90.71 degrees - the specification is 90 +/- 1.5 degrees. In addition, we are now receiving information from the spacecraft's magnetometer. - Keith

And from here:

We have received authorization from NASA to communicate with (and command) ISEE-3 until 25 June. Meanwhile, analysis of telemetry from ISEE- 3 shows that *ALL* of its science instruments are still powered on. Telemetry also shows that ISEE-3 has a power margin of +28 watts - after 36 years. It is important to note that ISEE-3 has not had a functioning battery for decades. Indeed, this power capacity is what was projected for the spacecraft to have had in 1982 after 4 years in space.

Power System Status
- main bus voltage >= 28 volts
- solar array current >= 5.2 amps
- essential bus current <= 0.25 amps
- non-essential bus current = 4 amps
- shunt dump current >= 1 amp
- transponder A RF power = 5 watts
- transponder B RF power = 5.25 watts

There's also a nice video about first successful contact at Arecibo.

 

[ISProgram]

(More) ISEE-3 Reboot Updates!

Space College: "Detection of ISEE-3 With a 4.5 Meter Dish in Estonia"
Space College: "HAM Operator Detection of ISEE-3 With an 8 Foot Dish"
eHam: "Radio Amateurs are Principal Players In Effort to Resurrect NASA Spacecraft"
Planetary Society: "After decades of silence, a vintage spacecraft says hello to Earth"

And from Twitter...

baudline ‏@baudline 1h
I used a different technique for a more accurate @ISEE3Reboot spin measurement. Now spinning at 19.1695 ±0.0002 RPM.

Also, what ISEE-3 really looks like...

 

[ISProgram]

Things are getting exciting; the first planned thruster burn is scheduled in as little as 5 days from now (June 17). Now, the news:

Space College: "ISEE-3 Status Report 9 June 2014 (Afternoon)"
Space College: "ISEE-3 Science Instrument Update 12 June 2014"
Space: "Private Team to Restart Engines on 36-Year-Old NASA Spacecraft"

From Twitter...

ISEE3 Reboot Project
‏@ISEE3Reboot
#ISEE3 is 11.58 million km from Earth - and closing ....

ISEE3 Reboot Project @ISEE3Reboot · Jun 10
Travel time to #ISEE3 from Earth is 39.45 sec - round trip is 78.9 sec

baudline @baudline · Jun 9
IQ plot of #ISEE3 signal shows 60° bi-φ PSK modulation. The 2 second packet structure is clearly visible @ISEE3Reboot

 

[ISProgram]

Oh dear, not liking the sound of this. I was afraid the firing would be delayed, but this for a completely different reason. Anyhow, the news:

Space: "Private Team Delays Engine Restart for 36-Year-Old NASA Probe"
Space College: "ISEE-3 Reboot Project Scheduled for DSN Doppler and Ranging Activity"

Twitter, as usual...

we're doing OK for now. If we start to get too far into July then fuel starts to become an issue - fast.

All of our activities are being closely coordinated with Arecibo management. #ISEE3

 

[ISProgram]

More news!

Space College: "ISEE-3 Propulsion System Overview"
Space College: "ISEE-3 Status Report 13 June 2014 - Green Light For Spin-up"

Twitter

UHF Satcom @uhf_satcom · 4h
ISEE-3 detected on Doppler corrected TX freq of 2270.3908MHz with 1M dish! Confirmed with @usa_satcom ; FFT @ http://pjm.uhf-satcom.com/twtr/isee3_2270390_140614.jpg … - YAY !

 

[ISProgram]

LOTS of news...

Last ISEE-3 Reboot update until August for me. There are also a few more articles I didn't post still at Space College.

New York Times: "Calling Back a Zombie Ship From the Graveyard of Space"
Space College: "ISEE-3 Status Report 16 June 2014 (afternoon)"
Space College: "ISEE-3 's Current Position"
Space College: "ISEE-3 Ranging at DSN"
NBC Bay Area: "NASA Tracks "Zombie" Spacecraft from Office Space Inside Old McDonald's"

Twitter...

ISEE3 Reboot Project
‏@ISEE3Reboot
We are moving up our #ISEE3 spin-up maneuver to tomorrow (Friday 20 Jun) due to some pulsar observations at Arecibo..

ISEE3 Reboot Project
‏@ISEE3Reboot
.@LocalJoost we are still aiming for 30 Jun - 2 Jul window for #ISEE3 TCM burn

ISEE3 Reboot Project
‏@ISEE3Reboot
.@LocalJoost every indication is that things are OK. Nice thing: spin-up burn lets us do a short prop system test before big one #ISEE3

Oh, and there's an ISEE-3 Song!​

 

[GLS]

Looks like they (finally) did the spin up maneuver!!!

ISEE3 Reboot Project ‏@ISEE3Reboot

Good news. Maneuver complete #ISEE3

12:08 PM - 2 Jul 2014

---------- Post added at 08:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 PM ----------

 

[ADSWNJ]

Just . . . jaw-dropping.

Awesome news!

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Huzzah!

to the guys and gals making this work!

 

[GLS]

TCM now underway!!!
They just finished the 1º of 7 "firing segments"
Follow live "commentary" in twitter, and live telemetry at the AMSAT-DL website.

---------- Post added at 07:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------

it did like the 2º firing :uhh:

showing complete maneuver but accelerometers did not look right.

---------- Post added at 07:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 PM ----------

looks like they tried to fire the thrusters without prop :lol:

Next segment will be 2A. An unexpected event was that it looks like the Latch valve closed after segment 1 terminate
Segment 2 ran to the extent that the propellant lines drained through the thrusters, so very little dV.

---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:44 PM ----------

still more problems

Go for initiate. Command sent. #ISEE3. Command accepted. We see acceleration but not as expected.

Either we are low on fuel in System A or latch valve A is not working. FSS and accelerometers not indicating thrust

Segment 2B burn inconclusive thus far.

---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:08 PM ----------

that's it for today

Team is reviewing data from today's TCM efforts.

 

[boogabooga]

At least they tried.

No harm, no foul.

 

[ADSWNJ]

Not dead yet, are they?

 

[GLS]

ISEE-3 Status Report 8 July 2014 (evening)

We managed to conduct the first segment (composed of 63 thruster pulses) but encountered problems with the second and halted the remainder of segment firings. Today's burn was supposed to be 7.32987 m/s. We're looking at data and formulating a plan for tomorrow. Our window tomorrow (Wednesday) at Arecibo opens at 12:39 pm EDT and extends to 3:26 pm EDT.

Not dead yet, are they?

nop
If they have no prop left in system A (as it looked today), they still have system B. :thumbup:

full ISEE-3 Propulsion System Overview

---------- Post added at 07:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:22 AM ----------

New day new attempt!!!
They just fired the thrusters again using prop from sysA -> did not produce the expected acceleration (in fact opening a valve inside the S/C was more noticeable than the firing in the accelerometer data :huh, so it looks like the 4 tanks in sysA are empty or without enough pressure... on the bright side there's still sysB.

---------- Post added at 07:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:16 PM ----------

attempting to use system B now

Latch Valve D open. Telemetry looks OK. Thruster select F and N

---------- Post added at 07:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:23 PM ----------

ob boy:facepalm:

Initiate command accepted. Maneuver initiated but no acceleration

---------- Post added at 07:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:26 PM ----------

looks like that's it for today

Final command of the day will be to put the bird in science data mode.

initial theory is that the pressure transducers have read correctly and that we have no pressure in either tank system

We have a hydrazine expert on the team now to help

my 2 cents here: looks very grim... if it's lack of tank pressure, they might be able to do it if they can heat the tanks up, but it all depends on the capability of the heaters... hopefully the expert mencioned above will help

 

[GLS]

Another day, another attempt to do the TCM (possibly the last).
Trying to "clean the pipes" inside the spacecraft and if it goes we they'll do the TCM, otherwise it will continue on another lap around the Sun.

If we clear the pipes and fire the engines we'll do a 9.69 m/s TMC burn today

---------- Post added at 07:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:22 PM ----------

Accelerometers confirm end of maneuver. No thrust. We are now going to attempt this through AOCS electronics B

looks like they're still in good spirits :lol:

Today's activities are brought to you by pV= nRT and Hydrazine

 

[boogabooga]

Wow, the Kickstarter space program isn't doing so well...