Stardust Status Report

September 26, 2003

The Stardust team had one period of communications with the spacecraft in the past week. Telemetry relayed from the spacecraft indicates it is healthy and all subsystems continue to operate normally.

A formal peer review of the Comet Wild 2 dust model was held recently. Thirteen internationally renowned comet experts reviewed and discussed the mission's 'model' for dust location and size for Comet Wild 2. The current project model was validated with unanimous consensus to use as is for mission planning. The Stardust team will now incorporate the Comet Wild 2 dust model into their final planning for encounter.

Information on the present position and orbits of the Stardust spacecraft and Comet Wild 2 may be found on the "Where Is Stardust Right Now?" web page located at:

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/scnow.html

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