[meteorite-list] Boeing EDD Awarded Electric Propulsion Contract for Dawn Mission

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:34 2004
Message-ID: <200308201616.JAA02660_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2003/q3/nr_030818s.html

Boeing EDD Awarded Electric Propulsion Contract for NASA Mission
Boeing News Release
August 18, 2003

ST. LOUIS - Boeing [NYSE:BA] has been awarded a contract by
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to provide the electric propulsion
system to be used on the Dawn spacecraft.

Boeing Electron Dynamic Devices, Inc. (EDD), located in Torrance, CA.,
will be responsible for the production of three xenon ion thrusters and
two power processor units (PPUs) to be used NASA's latest Discovery
program.

This electric propulsion system will provide the primary propulsion for
the Dawn mission as it travels to Vesta and continues on to Ceres. NASA
scientists are hoping to discover how planets are formed and find
additional clues as to the origins of the solar system.

"EDD is pleased to support NASA - JPL on this important mission," said
Chris Stephens, EDD vice president and general manager. "This award
represents our customer's confidence in EDD to provide quality electric
propulsion as was demonstrated in the highly successful NASA Deep Space
One (DS1) mission."

The ion thrusters and PPUs for the Dawn spacecraft will be identical to
the NSTAR equipment that was qualified and flown on the highly successful
NASA Deep Space One mission. The DS1 flight spare ion thruster has
achieved more than 30,000 hours of operation and processed more than 235kg
of xenon in a life test at JPL. This demonstrates that the NSTAR ion
thrusters could meet the Dawn mission requirements of 19,000 hours and
150kg of propellant throughput per thruster.

The Dawn ion thrusters and PPUs will be produced and tested at the EDD
facility in Torrance with delivery by late 2004. The Dawn mission is
currently scheduled for launch in May 2006.

Boeing EDD is a leading provider of high reliability products to space and
defense customers and the world leader in the development and production
of xenon ion thrusters and associated power processor units. EDD serves as
an independent merchant supplier under Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of
the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St.
Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It
provides systems solutions to its global military, government and
commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance; the world's largest military aircraft
manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading
provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for
U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in
launch services.



###

Contact:
Ronea Alger Hart
Boeing Satellite Systems
310-364-7575
ronea.hart_at_boeing.com

Madonna Walsh
Boeing IDS News Bureau
314-234-1362
madonna.a.walsh_at_boeing.com
Received on Wed 20 Aug 2003 12:16:20 PM PDT