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STARDUST Update - October 24, 1997


                           STARDUST Status Report
                              October 24, 1997

                                 Ken Atkins
                          STARDUST Project Manager

The project completed a self-imposed, formal Risk Review on October 22.
Standing Review Board Chairman Frank Carr used a subset of the board members
to conduct this review. The Board examined the implementation processes,
matching against the plan.

Cometary & Interstellar Dust Analyzer (CIDA) delivery date: Good News!! The
ATLO (Assembly, Test & Launch Operations )team at Lockheed-Martin developed
a work-around to allow schedule relief by implementing a structural end
"frame" to keep one end of the spacecraft box open longer in the assembly
flow. Thus, later access to the spacecraft interior makes a schedule
matching possible for the CIDA electronics to be installed there.

Aerogel Production update: The Co-Investigator Team meeting last Friday
validated the aerogel flight density profiles. Gun test reports by Johnson
Space Center validated the collector thickness design and supported the
validation for the flight-design density profiles.

The flight system assembly stand was moved into the Hi Bay Clean Room at
Lockheed-Martin. The Launch Vehicle adapter face (with shields) and bottom
of the flight spacecraft structure was also moved and mounted on the
assembly stand as preparations begin for full system assembly.

A STARDUST briefing was provided to Kennedy Space Center Director Maj-Gen.
Roy Bridges, USAF Ret., highlighting elements such as Earned Value-based
Performance Management, electronic meeting room, etc.

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/