Author Topic: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion  (Read 616967 times)

Online jacqmans

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #40 on: 06/11/2007 08:43 pm »
MEDIA ADVISORY: 27-07

NASA OFFERS MEDIA ACCESS TO DAWN SPACECRAFT JUNE 14

NASA's Dawn spacecraft, targeted to launch aboard a Delta II rocket
from Cape Canaveral on July 7, will be the focus of a media
opportunity at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at Astrotech in
Titusville, Fla. The event is an opportunity to photograph Dawn and
interview project and launch program officials about the mission.

Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the
solar system's earliest epoch 4.5 billion years ago by investigating
in detail two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta. They reside
between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. Scientists theorize
these were budding planets never given the opportunity to grow.
However, Ceres and Vesta each followed a very different evolutionary
path during the first few million years of the solar system's
evolution. By investigating two very different asteroids during the
spacecraft's eight-year flight, the Dawn mission aims to unlock some
of the mysteries of planetary formation. Dawn will be the first
spacecraft to orbit an object in the asteroid belt and the first to
orbit two bodies after leaving Earth.

For the media event, procedures for optically sensitive spacecraft
must be followed by individuals entering the clean room where the
spacecraft is being prepared for launch. Full clean room attire
(bunny suits) must be worn and will be furnished. Please do not wear
perfume, cologne or makeup. Long pants and closed-toe shoes must be
worn -- no shorts, skirts or high heels.

Camera equipment including tripods and photo accessories must be
cleaned under supervision of contamination-control specialists before
entering the clean room. All equipment must be self-contained; no
portable lights can be allowed. Non-essential equipment such as
suede, leather or vinyl camera bags or other carrying cases must be
left outside the clean room. No pencils or felt-tipped pens are
permitted; only ball-point pens may be used. No food, tobacco,
chewing gum, lighters, matches or pocketknives will be allowed.

Wireless microphones are allowed, but flash photography cannot be
permitted due to the sensitivity of the spacecraft's solar arrays.
There is adequate metal halide lighting in the facility for
photography (white with slight green cast; suggested exposure for
ISO-ASA 400 is 1/30 sec. at f/5.6).

Primary spokespersons available to the media will be:

Chris Russell, Dawn Principal Investigator
University of California at Los Angeles

Michael Mook, Dawn Program Manager
Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va.

Armando Piloto, NASA-KSC Mission Manager
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the project
management of Dawn. Orbital Sciences Corporation built the Dawn
spacecraft. Other partners include Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the German Aerospace
Center, the Italian Space Agency, and the Italian National Institute
of Astrophysics. The NASA Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space
Center and the United Launch Alliance are responsible for the launch
of the Delta II.

On Thursday, media may proceed directly to Astrotech located in the
Spaceport Florida Industrial Park, 1515 Chaffee Drive, Titusville.
Access at the gate will start at 1:15 p.m. The event will begin at
1:30 p.m. and last approximately two hours.

Dawn's journey to the asteroid belt is made possible by ion
propulsion. Initially tested and proven successful on NASA's Deep
Space 1 mission, this innovative technology is now applied in the
design of the Dawn spacecraft. Ion propulsion allows Dawn to
undertake a mission that would be unaffordable -- or perhaps
impossible -- with a more conventional propulsion system. Two large
solar arrays, stretching approximately 65 feet from tip to tip once
deployed, help to harness power from the distant sun to the ion
engines. The power then ionizes the onboard xenon fuel and
accelerates the ions, which in turns accelerates the spacecraft.

For further information, contact the NASA News Center at KSC at
321-867-2468.

Jacques :-)

Offline ShuttleDiscovery

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #41 on: 06/12/2007 07:16 pm »

Online Chris Bergin

Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #42 on: 06/13/2007 02:35 pm »
Dawn spacecraft damaged when worker slipped and fell on to a solar array. Article coming :(
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Online Chris Bergin

Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #43 on: 06/13/2007 02:43 pm »
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5132 - will update when more info comes in.
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Offline MKremer

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #44 on: 06/13/2007 05:20 pm »
Well, crap.   :frown:

Looking at the brighter side - maybe using up all its bad luck before launch will mean a more perfect mission.   :laugh:

Offline punkboi

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #45 on: 06/13/2007 05:35 pm »

I'd say something...but it's not gonna take away from the fact that bad luck and incompetence is becoming the trademark of this mission. :angry:


Offline MKremer

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #46 on: 06/13/2007 06:34 pm »
Thanks for the update!

Offline jimvela

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Online jacqmans

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #48 on: 06/13/2007 09:24 pm »
MEDIA ADVISORY: 28-07

DAWN MEDIA OPPORTUNITY RESCHEDULED TO JUNE 20

The media opportunity for Dawn scheduled for Thursday, June 14, at
Astrotech in Titusville has been rescheduled to Wednesday, June 20,
to allow spacecraft spin test activities to be completed. Media
access to Astrotech on Wednesday morning will begin at 10:15 a.m. and
the event will start at 10:30 a.m.  

This will be an opportunity to photograph NASAâ?Ts Dawn spacecraft and
interview project and launch program officials about the mission.
Dawn is targeted to launch aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape
Canaveral on July 7.

Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the
solar system's earliest epoch 4.5 billion years ago by investigating
in detail two of the largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta. They reside
between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. Scientists theorize
these were budding planets never given the opportunity to grow.
However, Ceres and Vesta each followed a very different evolutionary
path during the first few million years of the solar system's
evolution. By investigating two very different asteroids during the
spacecraft's eight-year flight, the Dawn mission aims to unlock some
of the mysteries of planetary formation. Dawn will be the first
spacecraft to orbit an object in the asteroid belt and the first to
orbit two bodies after leaving Earth.

For the media event, procedures for optically sensitive spacecraft
must be followed by individuals entering the clean room where the
spacecraft is being prepared for launch. Full clean room attire
(bunny suits) must be worn and will be furnished. Please do not wear
perfume, cologne or makeup. Long pants and closed-toe shoes must be
worn -- no shorts, skirts or high heels.

Camera equipment including tripods and photo accessories must be
cleaned under supervision of contamination-control specialists before
entering the clean room. All equipment must be self-contained; no
portable lights can be allowed. Non-essential equipment such as
suede, leather or vinyl camera bags or other carrying cases must be
left outside the clean room. No pencils or felt-tipped pens are
permitted; only ball-point pens may be used. No food, tobacco,
chewing gum, lighters, matches or pocketknives will be allowed.

Wireless microphones are allowed, but flash photography cannot be
permitted due to the sensitivity of the spacecraft's solar arrays.
There is adequate metal halide lighting in the facility for
photography (white with slight green cast; suggested exposure for
ISO-ASA 400 is 1/30 sec. at f/5.6).

Primary spokespersons available to the media will be:

Chris Russell, Dawn Principal Investigator
University of California at Los Angeles

Michael Mook, Dawn Program Manager
Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va.

Armando Piloto, NASA-KSC Mission Manager
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the project
management of Dawn. Orbital Sciences Corporation built the Dawn
spacecraft. Other partners include Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the German Aerospace
Center, the Italian Space Agency, and the Italian National Institute
of Astrophysics. The NASA Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space
Center and the United Launch Alliance are responsible for the launch
of the Delta II.

On Wednesday, media may proceed directly to Astrotech located in the
Spaceport Florida Industrial Park, 1515 Chaffee Drive, Titusville.
Access at the gate will start at 10:15 a.m. The event will begin at
10:30 a.m. and last approximately two hours.

Dawn's journey to the asteroid belt is made possible by ion
propulsion. Initially tested and proven successful on NASA's Deep
Space 1 mission, this innovative technology is now applied in the
design of the Dawn spacecraft. Ion propulsion allows Dawn to
undertake a mission that would be unaffordable -- or perhaps
impossible -- with a more conventional propulsion system. Two large
solar arrays, stretching approximately 65 feet from tip to tip once
deployed, help to harness power from the distant sun to the ion
engines. The power then ionizes the onboard xenon fuel and
accelerates the ions, which in turns accelerates the spacecraft.

For further information, contact the NASA News Center at KSC at
321-867-2468.

Jacques :-)

Offline punkboi

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #49 on: 06/13/2007 09:56 pm »

Quote
pad rat - 13/6/2007 11:32 AM The tech did not fall on the array. He was using a wrench on the clampband that holds the spacecraft to its payload attach fitting and the wrench slipped, gashing the composite sheet on which the solar cells are attached. The array manufacturer has examined the damage and will make repairs with no impact to the schedule. The tech feels really bad about this and made an apology to the team.

 *Breathes a sigh of relief*

 The tech deserves a dock in his next paycheck for that mishap. :bleh:


Offline dbhyslop

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #50 on: 06/14/2007 01:04 am »
Quote
punkboi - 13/6/2007  5:56 PM
p>

 *Breathes a sigh of relief*

 The tech deserves a dock in his next paycheck for that mishap. :bleh:


Will docking his pay make him feel sorrier?  Everyone--from garbagemen to air traffic controllers to generals and presidents--make mistakes.  This mistake could just as easily been done by the guy next to him and he already feels horrible about it.  Luckily its not going to delay the mission at all.  No reason to start a lynch mob.

Offline collectSPACE

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #51 on: 06/14/2007 01:16 am »
Quote
jimvela - 13/6/2007  3:07 PM

Another article on this topic appeared here:
http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn12060-dawn-spacecraft-damaged-but-still-set-for-launch.html
SpaceDaily.com also spoke with someone at KSC. And NASA Watch spoke with NASA Associate Administrator Alan Stern.

Online Chris Bergin

Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #52 on: 06/14/2007 02:00 am »
Great news it wasn't "someone falling on to it" as it was when we gained notes last night. While that status continued to improve (which is why it was a work in progress article..and still is) it's certainly good news - via articles produced the next day and the benefit of that wait - that the launch date won't be affected.

As far as Spacedaily, and their headline "Dawn spacecraft never damaged" - well that's just silly.
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Offline punkboi

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #53 on: 06/14/2007 03:23 am »
Quote
dbhyslop - 13/6/2007 6:04 PM
Quote
punkboi - 13/6/2007 5:56 PM p>

 *Breathes a sigh of relief*

 The tech deserves a dock in his next paycheck for that mishap. :bleh:

Will docking his pay make him feel sorrier? Everyone--from garbagemen to air traffic controllers to generals and presidents--make mistakes. This mistake could just as easily been done by the guy next to him and he already feels horrible about it. Luckily its not going to delay the mission at all. No reason to start a lynch mob.

 Hmm... I guess I should've used a wackier emoticon to indicate I wasn't being serious.  How 'bout this one? :laugh:

It's a good thing Dawn's launch window lasts for a couple of months (till October)...as opposed to just two months (January to February of last year, and February of this year if it didn't launch in '06) like New Horizons.


Offline PDJennings

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #54 on: 06/14/2007 02:29 pm »
Quote
punkboi - 13/6/2007  2:56 PM

Quote
pad rat - 13/6/2007 11:32 AM The tech did not fall on the array. He was using a wrench on the clampband that holds the spacecraft to its payload attach fitting and the wrench slipped, gashing the composite sheet on which the solar cells are attached. The array manufacturer has examined the damage and will make repairs with no impact to the schedule. The tech feels really bad about this and made an apology to the team.

 *Breathes a sigh of relief*

 The tech deserves a dock in his next paycheck for that mishap. :bleh:


It's always easy to blame the techs.  Clampband bolts can take a lot of torque, even for the non-flight test stand variety.  Normally, on commercial satellites, these bolts are clocked away from the solar arrays when possible -- to prevent exactly this sort of mishap.

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #55 on: 06/14/2007 02:33 pm »
He's already said he was joking. It was a dumb comment, but loosen up on the kids.

There was certainly damage to Dawn, I managed to see a phone yesterday but I'm not able to post, sorry.

Offline punkboi

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #56 on: 06/14/2007 05:32 pm »

Quote
pad rat - 14/6/2007 6:16 AM While it's true the launch window does extend into the fall, Phoenix (MSL) will take precedence if Dawn does not launch before its operations conflict with the MSL launch. No, I don't know at what point Dawn would be put on a backburner (I may know later), but Phoenix does have precedence in the science pecking order. The reason Phoenix holds precedence is its launch window is very finite and would lead to a two-year delay if missed. Dawn has somewhat more flexibility in its celestial mechanics.

MSL is a different mission... The Mars Science Laboratory doesn't launch till 2009.

 

Quote
Delta Manager - 14/6/2007 7:33 AM He's already said he was joking. It was a dumb comment, but loosen up on the kids.

 I think the 'dumb comment' part negated it...but thanks for backing me up anyway. ;)


Online Chris Bergin

Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #57 on: 06/14/2007 08:18 pm »
Large set of images of the damage has been acquired and published in L2. Here's one for those of you who aren't L2 members:
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Offline Firestarter

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #58 on: 06/15/2007 05:02 am »
Quote
As far as Spacedaily, and their headline "Dawn spacecraft never damaged" - well that's just silly.
It's more than silly, it's inaccurate, unless they think the above is how it should look!

Offline jimvela

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Re: NASA - Dawn updates and discussion
« Reply #59 on: 06/15/2007 05:33 am »
Quote
Chris Bergin - 14/6/2007  2:18 PM

Large set of images of the damage has been acquired and published in L2. Here's one for those of you who aren't L2 members:

Crap, I wouldn't have wanted to be the poor SOB whom had to report that to JPL...

I work with a number of really good flight techs.  This kind of thing is just crushing to the good ones, whom seldom if ever make that kind of mistake.

I used to think that some of the peculiar ways that they handle themselves was odd or silly, but you can sure learn an awful lot from listening to why they do and don't do certain things.  The more that I see and hear of these things happening, the wiser those OGBs turn out to be! :laugh:

You can also learn a lot from pictures and accounts of what went wrong.  Lessons learned, and all that.  Thanks for sharing a peek for us not on L2!

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