[meteorite-list] Deep Impact Update - April 2005

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Apr 15 19:09:10 2005
Message-ID: <200504152308.j3FN8gd03447_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/update.html

Deep Impact Mission Update - April 2005
Maura Rountree-Brown with information from Mike Sierchio, Deputy Mission
Manager

The Deep Impact mission team closed the Commission Phase of flight with
the completion of the impactor projectile's checkout activities. During
that phase, the team verified the basic health of all subsystems and
tested the operation of the science instruments.

The mission now moves to Cruise Phase. During the coming months, the
team will work toward updating the attitude control system tables that
control the alignment of the spacecraft instruments, which refines the
ability of the spacecraft to accurately point the onboard instruments at
Comet Tempel 1.

The High and Medium Resolution (HRI and MRI) instruments on the flyby
spacecraft are fixed in position so a period of testing and rehearsing
takes place as the team asks the spacecraft to focus on a star and
center it. By updating the software that commands the spacecraft's
attitude control, the team finds the best X and Y axis position for the
spacecraft to center on Comet Tempel 1. It's a little like buying a new
camera and then learning how to take the best pictures by learning the
actual parameters of that instrument. The science team will conduct
instrument calibration tests using a set of stars, further verifying
imaging procedures for encounter.

The High Resolution Instrument has not reached perfect focus and the
team is investigating how to bring it to its best performance level. The
HRI's current performance, combined with that of the Medium Resolution
imaging and IR spectrometer on the flyby spacecraft and the Impactor
Targeting Sensor on the projectile, still gives the mission's PI, Dr.
Mike A'Hearn the confidence that images taken of Comet Tempel 1 will be
the most detailed of a comet nucleus ever taken. View the latest press
release. <http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/press/050325nasahq.html>
Received on Fri 15 Apr 2005 07:08:42 PM PDT