Discovery Program 2006 and Missions Of Opportunity Options

[Comga]

Don't you mean, no they're not mutually exclusive?

OOPS! You are right. I did mean that DIXI and EPOCh are complimentary, not mutually exclusive. Running one program makes running the other easier, and there is no need to overlap the observation times.

As for djellision's question:
From what I know, the fuel usage for a few months of observation would be small, and there should be more than sufficient fuel margin for that and the Boethin encounter. IIRC, the maneuvers for Deep Impact used less fuel than planned, and much less than allotted, so there was significant fuel even after the July 2005 course adjustment. Does anyone here have those fuel budget numbers?

[Oren Iishi]

I'm not really sure where to put this topic but does anyone know if the jammed Stardust camera filter wheel issue has been resolved? And if it isn't fixed yet, will that hinder the proposed Stardust extended mission? Thanks for any replies.

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

I'm not really sure where to put this topic but does anyone know if the jammed Stardust camera filter wheel issue has been resolved? And if it isn't fixed yet, will that hinder the proposed Stardust extended mission? Thanks for any replies.

Proposers for this AO were advised that the "Stardust Imaging Camera (SIC) filter wheel [was] stuck in the broad-band position." Therefore, proposers had to take this into account when submitting proposals.

As far as I know, this hasn't changed.

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

Teaching an old spacecraft new tricks: Astronomer Joe Veverka may lead new mission to comet Tempel 1
By Lauren Gold
Cornell University Chronicle Online
May 23, 2007

[Comga]

How woud it be possible for them to target the fly-by so that the Deep Impact crater was near local noon? (All of the animations show it this way.) IIRC, there was still some uncertainty as to the rotation period, which can never be known well enough to pick a "phase" after six years. Do they plan to use the light curve to determine rotation? Tempel 1 is pretty close to spherical, making the light curve very hard to detect. If they were to try this, how much delay or advance could they get for 20kg of propellant?

If they can't target the proper phase or sub-solar longitude, they wil have 50/50 chance of seeing the crater at all. Half the surface is dark.

[Mariner9]

OK, we are now a year after the initial down-select to three proposals. If I recall correctly, oh, sorry... IIRC there were supposed to be about 9 months of detailed study, and then 3 months of review at NASA headquarters.

So any word on when a decision might come down?

[stevesliva]

I seem to recall that all three were approved.

Yup, In July: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19589401
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=4370

[Mariner9]

I seem to recall that all three were approved.

No, sorry if I was unclear. The missions of opportunity were indeed approved.

But there were three proposals selected for furthur study for a full Discovery mission: an asteroid sample return, a Venus orbiter, and a lunar orbiter.

I'm wondering what became of those.

[vjkane]

No, sorry if I was unclear. The missions of opportunity were indeed approved.

But there were three proposals selected for furthur study for a full Discovery mission: an asteroid sample return, a Venus orbiter, and a lunar orbiter.

I'm wondering what became of those.

I recall reading that the selection of the next full mission will be announced in December.