[FPSPACE] Dawn Journal for May 25, 2009

[LARRY KLAES]

May 25, 2009
 
Dear Astrodawns,
 
Dawn’s mission continues to go very well, as the spacecraft nears the end of the longest coasting period of its astronomical journey. The deep-space member of the team has completed more special activities under the helpful guidance of the terrestrial contingent.
 
The previous log described the installation of software in the spacecraft’s main computer. (Known as flight software 8.0, this name was chosen as part of Dawn’s new outreach effort to increase public awareness of the number 8. Please consider yourself aware. The outreach plan for the designation of the subsequent version of the software is expected to be 12.5% better.) The software had been tested extensively in simulators on Earth, but the ultimate test is its performance in keeping the spacecraft running smoothly. 
Because Dawn devotes more time in space to thrusting with its ion propulsion system than doing anything else (this does not count the time it spends in eager anticipation of the exciting rewards to be garnered at its destinations Vesta and Ceres), it was important to verify that the capability to thrust was not compromised with the new software. Despite the assiduity with which 8.0 was developed, the possibility of a subtle bug being introduced could not be discounted. 
 
A test well ahead of the planned resumption of thrusting early in June would allow time to rectify problems and still keep to the itinerary. Just as with the tests in the initial checkout phase of the mission, the objective was to show that all subsystems would work together (under control of the new software) to sustain stable thrusting.

Full article here:
http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/journal_5_25_09.asp

 

 
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