STARDUST Status Report

April 7, 2000

There were two Deep Space Network (DSN) tracking passes during the past week. All subsystems onboard the spacecraft are performing normally. Interstellar dust collection continues.

A sequence of 30 Navigation Camera images has been identified, including bright stars seen using the mirror and through periscope and using the mirror only as well as images with the calibration lamp on. Multiple exposures through multiple filters will be taken with only the central 350 x 350 pixels of the 1024 x 1024 image being transmitted to earth to reduce downlink time. These images will be taken after Trajectory Correction Maneuver #3 (TCM-3).

The project is preparing for the NASA Discovery Program retreat next week that will include all past and current Discovery projects.

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