Stardust + Deep Impact mission extensions, ...two new comet flybys approved Options

[NMRguy]

We have a couple of updates for our two Missions of Opportunity. In order to get Stardust and Deep Impact to their respective next destinations (EDIT: Tempel 1 and 85P/Boethin), we need to have targeted gravity assists from Earth. Deep Impact (EPOXI) will swing by Earth this December 31, 2007 to set up its encounter with Boethin on December 5, 2008. Does anyone know if the extended mission funding allows for any imaging during the flyby, even if just for outreach?

Also, Stardust-NExT just completed a successful deep space maneuver, setting up its own gravity assist with Earth in January 2009. The eventual flyby of Tempel 1 is scheduled for February 14, 2011.

Stardust Successfully Performs Maneuver
"Stardust successfully performed Deep Space Maneuver 1. This was the first maneuver without the Sample Return Capsule where an accurate burn performance was required. This maneuver will place the spacecraft on a trajectory to perform an Earth Gravity Assist in January 2009."

[IM4]

Bad news everyone!

11.05.2007, A'Hearn
New Target
In the first half of October, Karen Meech organized an heroic effort to recover comet Boethin in time to plan the spacecraft's flyby of Earth, which would put it on target to go to the comet. The orbit is very uncertain due to the comet having been observed at only two apparitions, with no observations since 1986, and the uncertainty is so large that we would not have enough fuel on board to compensate for the uncertainty in the orbit after the flyby of Earth. This effort was not successful.
As a result, I recommended to NASA that we switch to our backup target, comet 103P/Hartley 2, which has a very well defined orbit but which requires two extra years for the mission and thus additional funding from NASA. The encounter for the backup plan is on 11 October 2010.
NASA authorized us to plan and execute the Earth flyby as though we were going to comet Hartley 2, while they consider whether they can afford to pay for the longer mission. The maneuver to set up the flyby of Earth was executed on 1 November and appears to have been flawless. The flyby of Earth will occur on New Year's Eve, 31 December 2007.
EPOXI mission site

[NMRguy]

Bad news everyone!

Am I correct to assume that the "Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization" (EPOCh) portion of EPOXI using the unfocused High Resolution Imager to search for extrasolar planets is still to be funded, regardless of Alan's decision whether to continue funding for "Deep Impact Extended Investigation" (DIXI) with the change in primary target from Boethin to Hartley 2? EPOCh was to commence directly after the flyby from January to May 2008.

Also, some calibration measurements were planned for the flyby. "The HRI, High Resolution Instrument, including its infrared spectrometer, and the MRI, Medium Resolution Instrument are recalibrated using our Moon as a target. On the last day of 2007, the spacecraft achieves its closest approach to Earth - the altitude is a mere 19,310 km above eastern Asia."

[belleraphon1]

Well, "looks like the Boethin has rooked us again"!

Craig

[NMRguy]

Two bits of information on Deep Impact EPOXI.
- As you may already know, NASA Headquarters approved funding for Deep Impact to target Hartley 2 instead of Boethin. The first of three gravity assists will be the end of this month.
- EPOCh is still moving forward and has already begun taking some calibration measurements.

http://epoxi.umd.edu/1mission/status.shtml

[mps]

Some recent Moon images and Earth flyby description are up on EPOXI homepage

[tedstryk]

Here is my version of the release image. I look forward to the release of HRI images that are not deconvolved. I was really limited in what I could do because of the fact that I was processing a processed image. It is interesting to note that MRI's resolution doesn't appear too much worse than the out of focus HRI. I hope that during the comet encounter they get close enough to get some good multispectral data with MRI.

[IM4]

Bad news again. EPOXI spacecraft entered safe mode, EPOCh observations interrupted.

[centsworth_II]

Doesn't sound that bad to me:

"...the scientific output will not be compromised because additional observations
can be carried out after the previously scheduled end of operations for EPOCh.
Therefore, there has been no rush to bring the spacecraft out of safe mode..."

[Paolo]

Interesting article about the missed recovery of comet Boethin the original target of Deep Impact's mission extension
http://transientsky.wordpress.com/2008/11/...-missing-comet/

[mps]

There are two backpackers out there, soon visiting briefly their home. Deep Impact will fly by Earth on December 30, Stardust on January 14.
I can't find out anywhere, if there is any imaging planned during the flybys - so I wonder if anybody here is better informed about that?

A hint for Santa - there is a Earth approach movie in my wish list

[NGC3314]

There are two backpackers out there, soon visiting briefly their home. Deep Impact will fly by Earth on December 30, Stardust on January 14.
I can't find out anywhere, if there is any imaging planned during the flybys - so I wonder if anybody here is better informed about that?

A hint for Santa - there is a Earth approach movie in my wish list

Checking the ephemeris on JPL Horizons, the approach is from the night side over high southern latitudes. For ground based observers who want to try imaging the spacecraft, the best view near closest approach is from the southern hemisphere (probably Australia for longitude). In North America, the hours just after midnight on Dec. 29 look best (as it moves rapidly south of Orion), although the range is still 210,000 km at best. I got a detection last year with a 0.9m telescope by tracking on the expected motion, and as I look back, the range this time will be more favorable. Hmm - I don't have the 0.9m that night, but our campus 0.4m is open...

[robspace54]

Deep Impact will fly by Earth on December 30 and Stardust on January 14? Sweet!

December 30 is my birthday! Three years ago I built a scratch-built model of Deep Impact and the Impactor (slightly out of focus photo here). I also built a Stardust two years ago, also shown. Both models in 1/24 scale.

Rob

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Stu]

Nice work, Rob!

[mps]

Deep Impact will fly by Earth on December 30

Sorry, this information (source: http://epoxi.umd.edu/4gallery/graphics/EPO...Timeline-lg.jpg) is outdated, it seems that DI will fly by Earth on December 29 (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/epoxi/index.html).