STARDUST Status Report

February 18, 2000

There were two Deep Space Network (DSN) tracking passes in the past week. All subsystems on board the spacecraft are performing normally.

During the first DSN pass no telemetry was received due to interference from the Sun - the angular separation from the Sun is only 1.4 degrees. A weak carrier was observed and the DSN was able to occasionally lock onto the telemetry subcarrier but never long enough to provide telemetry data. Although no data was captured, the fact that the spacecraft was there and transmitting at the correct data rate indicated that the spacecraft was healthy.

The second DSN pass provided data that confirmed the spacecraft was healthy. Commands were sent to the spacecraft to return the Command Loss Timer to its original value of nine days. The spacecraft, due to interference from the Sun, did not successfully receive these commands. They will be sent again during the next pass.

Preparation for the Aerogel deployment on February 22 is continuing. The commands have been built and are in testing and review.

The All-Stellar performance continues to be monitored. The fuel usage remains at less than 3 grams/day. Analysis of the high rate attitude telemetry is on going.

The STARDUST Outreach team hosted the Southern California Space Explorer Teachers training workshop with other project personnel providing presentations on comets and the STARDUST Project.

Ken Atkins, the STARDUST Project Manager, released a special 1 year STARDUST launch anniversary announcement.

For more information on the STARDUST mission - the first ever comet sample return mission - please visit the STARDUST home page: