DAWN mission to orbit 1 Ceres & 4 Vesta.

MeteorWayne · Sep 25, 2007

Jay Barberee's brain is undergoing a major malfunction. For a space reporter, he's amazingly ignorant. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 25, 2007

Nice News conference (other than Jay). Showed lots of video of the spacecraft and launcher assembly. I'm sure there will be a replay later on, if I find a time, I'll post it. It's really a very exciting mission that I will surely be following for the next 8 years (Ceres visit is in 2015). The science return should be incredible, and the knowledge we gain about the history of our solar system, and Asteroid belt in particular, should be stunning. As a guy involved in the smaller rubble of the solar system, this really has me charged up (BTW, that's an ion engine pun <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> ) Weather is 40% chance of a no go on Thursday AM, 30% for a 24 hour delay, mainly due to showers in the vicinity. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

thereiwas · Sep 25, 2007

Speaking of the smaller rubble, I was wondering how robust those huge solar panels are to being dragged through the asteroid belt. Can they take multiple small hits and keep working?

3488 · Sep 25, 2007

Thank you very much for your updates MeteorWayne. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> I could not watch the Press conference as I was nowhere near a computer at the time. <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> It sounds like Jay had made some serious omissions & / or errors??? <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /> In reply to your sentences" It's really a very exciting mission that I will surely be following for the next 8 years (Ceres visit is in 2015). The science return should be incredible, and the knowledge we gain about the history of our solar system, and Asteroid belt in particular, should be stunning. Every word you stated there is so very true. Needless to say, I too will be following the developments. 4 Vesta & 1 Ceres will reveal much. I wonder which other asteroids DAWN can visit on route & between 4 Vesta & 1 Ceres? I really hope that 2 Pallas will be kept open as an option for a slow close encounter. Please do post the replay if it happens. Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

3488 · Sep 25, 2007

Hi ThereIWas, I do not think that will be a huge problem. The space between the asteroids generally is no more rubble strewn than the rest of the solar system. IIRC, when Pioneer 10 made the very first historic crossing of the Asteroid Belt, only seven micrometeriod hits were recorded, about the same as the general interplanetary space for the same distance covered. I think DAWN will be fine. The one main concern might be a tiny undiscovered ateroid getting in DAWN's way, leading to its destruction, but IMO, the chances of that are probably several trillion to one against. But you did raise a good point though, the larger the surface area of a spacecraft, the greater the risk of damage due to impacts. Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 25, 2007

The asteroid belt is not as dense as what you see on TV. Individual particles and rocks are VERY far apart. I would imagine they can take micrometeoroid hits and continue to function, if they were hit by a 1 meter rock the mission would be over. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 25, 2007

Spaceflightnow apparently doesn't consider this mission very important, as their updates have been terrible slow. <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> The latest is 28 hours old, when propellant loading hadn't even been completed. No comment on the press conference this afternoon, or launch weather forecasts. I guess SDC is pretty valuable after all <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> News from NASA: 09.25.07 Mission managers and officials from NASA, the United Launch Alliance and other organizations are meeting for the planned Launch Readiness Review to make sure the spacecraft and its Delta II rocket are ready for launch on Sept. 27. All missions undergo a rigorous review rocess before launch. The second stage of the rocket was fueled Monday in an important milestone leading to launch. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

bobblebob · Sep 25, 2007

Have they given an exact time of launch at the conference? I missed it

MeteorWayne · Sep 25, 2007

See the last NASA post above for the time (0720-0749 EDT) IIRC. If it gets delayed 24 hours, the tme is 7:13-7:43 EDT. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 25, 2007

BTW, one thing that came out from the news conference was that the path to Vesta is faster. They will get the gravity assist from Mars earlier, and will arrive at Vesta 2 months early. They have to depart Vesta for Ceres at the same time, but they will get to spend 2 more months at Vesta. That's a silver lining to the cloud delay. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

bobblebob · Sep 25, 2007

I also found this really interesting from the KSC email "This is a four-year process that begins with launch and continues with the firing of three of the most efficient engines in NASA's space motor inventory: ion propulsion engines. Employing a complex commingling of solar-derived electric power and xenon gas, these frugal powerhouses must fire for months at a time to propel as well as steer Dawn. Over their eight-year, almost 4-billion-mile lifetime, these three ion propulsion engines will fire cumulatively for about 50,000 hours (over five years) - a record for spacecraft."

SpaceKiwi · Sep 25, 2007

What's the approximate miles per buck they get with the ion propulsion? These things must cost a pittance to run. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Who is this superhero? Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bring Back The Black! </div>

holmec · Sep 25, 2007

Looking at NASA TV now. I don't know if this is a repeat of earlier transmition, but they are going over what we know of Vesta and Ceres. And what they are saying about Ceres is surprising to me. Very different than I personally would have guessed Ceres being. This promises to be a very interesting mission. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off </div>

rfoshaug · Sep 26, 2007

Does anyone know the thrust and Isp of the ion engines? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> ----------------------------------My minds have many opinions </div>

bobblebob · Sep 26, 2007

Im hoping it does get delayed a further 24hrs, as i can watch the launch live on Friday <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> Cant tomorrow tho

astrowikizhang · Sep 26, 2007

Does anyone know the thrust and Isp of the ion engines? ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ï¼ 3100 sec

MeteorWayne · Sep 26, 2007

In fact, one thing they mentioned at the news conference was that the first test of the ion engines will be to determine just that. After all the spacecraft checkouts, and a number of steps prior to firing the engine (purging the lines of moisture, baking out the cathodes, etc) when they finally do fire up the first (of 3 ) engines, they intend to fire it in a direction to slow Dawn down. Why, you might ask? Well, it's to determine the exact performance. By firing it away from the earth, they will get a more precise measurement of the actual performance, since it will cause the greatest doppler shift in the craft's velocity measurements. I thought that was interesting planning. Of course, the velocity decrease will be more than made up during the more than 50,000 hours that the engines will fire. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

thereiwas · Sep 26, 2007

He said the amount of thrust is about the force exerted on your hand if you hold a single piece of paper on your palm.

3488 · Sep 26, 2007

Thank you very much for your updates MeteorWayne. I am not sure that I can watch the launch live, as will be at work, unless I can take an extended lunch break. 7:19 AM - 7:45 AM EDT = 12:19 PM - 12:45 PM CET. Hi ThereIWas, thats very true, a tiny thrust indeed, but applied over thousands of hours, that amounts to one big push. Hi all, I case you are all wondering what the fuss is all about, I have linked images of 1 Ceres & 4 Vesta below. 1 Ceres & 4 Vesta from Hubble Space Telescope. 1 Ceres, six colour images during one rotation. Hubble Space Telescope. 1 Ceres colour view from Hubble Space Telescope. 1 Ceres complete rotation from AO Keck Telescope. 4 Vesta full rotation in colour from Hubble Space Telescope. 4 Vesta image, shape model & elevation diagram. Hubble Space Telescope. 4 Vesta complete rotation in colour processed to a very high, professional standard by SDC member rlb2. 4 Vesta two views Hubble Space Telescope, enlarged, processed to professional standards by rlb2. These two views clearly show that 4 Vesta is irregular in <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 26, 2007

Latest press release: 09.25.07 Dwayne Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1726 dwayne.c.brown@nasa.gov George Diller Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-867-2468 george.h.diller@nasa.gov DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-9011 david.c.agle@jpl.nasa.gov RELEASE: 48-07 NASA SPACECRAFT IS A 'GO' FOR ASTEROID BELT CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch and flight teams are in final preparations for the planned Sept. 27 liftoff from Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., of NASA's Dawn mission. The Dawn spacecraft will venture into the heart of the asteroid belt, where it will document in exceptional detail the mammoth rocky asteroid Vesta, then the even bigger, icy dwarf planet Ceres. "If you live in the Bahamas, this is one time you can tell your neighbor, with a straight face, that Dawn will rise in the west," said Dawn Project Manager Keyur Patel of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Weather permitting, we are go for launch Thursday morning, a little after dawn." Dawn's Sept. 27 launch window is 7:20 to 7:49 a.m. EDT. At the moment of liftoff, the Delta II's first-stage main engine along with six of its nine solid-fuel boosters will ignite. The remaining three solids are ignited in flight following the burnout of the first six. The first-stage main engine will burn for 4.4 minutes. The second stage will deposit Dawn in a 185-kilometer-high (100-nautical-mile) circular parking orbit in just under nine minutes. At about 56 minutes after launch, the rocket's third and final stage will ignite for approximately 87 seconds. When the third stage burns out, actuators and push-off springs on the launch vehicle <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

holmec · Sep 26, 2007

Or JPL's web site: JPL Dawn <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off </div>

MeteorWayne · Sep 26, 2007

That's a good one, thanks. It's now in my "spacecraft" pile <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

jimfromnsf · Sep 26, 2007

Countdown starts in 45 minutes watch here http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/

PistolPete · Sep 26, 2007

Thanks for the link, Jim. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai </div>

bpcooper · Sep 26, 2007

SpaceflightNow has a preview story up today: http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d327/070926preview.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> -Ben </div>

DAWN mission to orbit 1 Ceres & 4 Vesta.

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