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STARDUST Update - February 27, 1998


                           STARDUST Status Report
                              February 27, 1998

                                 Ken Atkins
                          STARDUST Project Manager

STARDUST Assembly, Test and Launch Operations (ATLO) made good progress this
week with telecom interface tests nearing completion today.

A solution was developed for the data transfer problems discovered in the
Cometary and Interstellar Dust Analyzer (CIDA) interface testing last month.
Plans show the upgraded electronic simulator box arriving from Germany next
week to support validating and testing the fix. New ATLO flow plans allowed
the CIDA team two weeks of schedule relief for their flight unit delivery.

The flight Sample Return Capsule (SRC) canister bake-out was completed to
provide the required clean environment for aerogel collector tray
installation. The SRC avionics completed 100 hours burn in and the
certification was completed to permit flight installation.

Fault Protection workshop #3 was held this week in order to concentrate on
Fault Protection test planning and execution. Results were very
good,indicating a thorough test program for the fault protection software.

The flight solar arrays completed functional lighting tests and acoustic
test.

The first chip containing public names, letters and pictures has been
installed on the SRC avionics deck.

For more information on the STARDUST mission - the first ever comet sample
return mission - please visit the STARDUST home page:

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/