Stardust Status Report 12 Oct 2001
There were two Deep Space Network tracking passes in the past week
and all subsystems are performing normally.
Commands were successfully sent to the spacecraft to record power
data every fifteen minutes. The power subsystem engineers are
updating their power model to better predict the power usage next
April, when Stardust reaches 2.7 AU from the Sun. Presently, the
recorded data provides limited telemetry since a complete snapshot
of the spacecraft power measurements occurs only every four hours.
By recording the data every fifteen minutes over the next week, the
power subsystem engineers will be able to obtain a more accurate
picture of the spacecraft loads and thus update their model to
provide better power predictions at the 2.7 AU distance.
The Stardust and JPL Solar System websites highlighted a spotlight
article focusing on the recent milestone where Stardust became
the farthest ever spacecraft from the Sun using only solar power.
Stardust will continue to extend this record daily for the
next six months.
For more information on the Stardust mission — the first ever
comet sample return mission — please visit the Stardust home page:
