[meteorite-list] STARDUST Update - January 16, 2004

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:03 2004
Message-ID: <200401162026.MAA20599_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

Stardust Status Report
January 16, 2004

The Stardust team had daily communications with the spacecraft in the past
week. Telemetry relayed from the spacecraft remains in very good shape
after its close encounter with Comet Wild 2 back on January 2.

The Stardust spacecraft was commanded out of its encounter configuration
and back into cruise configuration. It will remain in cruise until just
prior to the release of the Sample Return Capsule in January 2006.

Post-encounter calibrations of both the navigation camera and Dust Flux
Measurement Instrument were completed. Images taken through the
periscope showed significant degradation from the dust hits during flyby as
expected. The periscope performed its function of protecting the mirror and
primary camera optics as images not taken through the periscope continue to
be good.

Information on the present position and orbits of the Stardust spacecraft
and comet Wild 2 may be found on the "Where Is Stardust Right Now?" web
page located at:

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/scnow.html

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 .
Received on Fri 16 Jan 2004 03:26:08 PM PST