Thank you for logging in to the Deep Space 1 mission status information site, the most popular page among sentient life forms in the Milky Way galaxy for information on this technology validation mission. This message was logged at 10:20 am Pacific Time on Saturday, March 6.

The autonomous navigation system, well known as AutoNav, has now correctly calculated the spacecraft's position in the solar system on two separate occasions. These are the first times a spacecraft has accomplished such a feat. All other spacecraft are told where they are based on analyses performed by engineers using data transmitted from the spacecraft, including the radio signal itself. JPL's AutoNav instead takes pictures of asteroids and stars, and analyzes them itself to determine its location using a method described in recorded status reports on the DS1 hotline. Since December, AutoNav has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to control the spacecraft to collect such images. But because of unexpected stray light reaching the camera, it could not fully analyze the resulting images. New software loaded last month however includes routines that allow AutoNav to accomplish its sophisticated task. The pictures taken prior to the loading of the new software were run through the same programs here on Earth and the results were transmitted to the spacecraft. Images taken since the new software was radioed to Deep Space 1 and loaded into its main computer, were analyzed by AutoNav. Combining all of these, AutoNav determined its location to within about 2000 kilometers or about 1000 miles. Being off by just a few thousand kilometers is quite remarkable considering the vastness of the solar system, as on Monday when AutoNav determined its location, the spacecraft was over 180 million kilometers or 110 million miles from the Sun and almost 46 million km or about 28.5 million miles from Earth.

In the past week and a half, Deep Space 1 has begun testing 3 of its advanced technologies for the first time, and all appear to be operating well. They could not be activated until the new software was running on the spacecraft. All 3 are designed to help NASA achieve its objective of making spacecraft that are smaller and lighter, thus allowing them to be launched on more affordable rockets. The first one tested consists of electronic devices that are smaller and consume much less power than conventional microelectronics. Because spacecraft have to generate their own electrical power, this is important for future smaller spacecraft. These electronics are also expected to be more resistant to radiation, which all spacecraft are exposed to. These extremely low power electronics were developed by MIT/Lincoln Laboratories. Another new technology on board consists of a very small, lightweight set of on/off switches, developed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. These switches can actually report to the spacecraft's computer on how much current and voltage they are controlling. Finally, DS1 tested a device known as a multifunctional structure. This places electronics right in a structural panel. The combination of these 2 important functions plus the ability to control the temperature all in one device offer the possibility of simplifying future spacecraft. This experiment was provided to NASA by the Air Force and built by Lockheed Martin. The data on all 3 of these new systems will be analyzed during the coming weeks. Each of the devices will continue to be tested regularly during the remainder of the mission to assess how they fare as they age, contributing to engineers' assessments of how applicable they are to spacecraft of the future.

Several experiments were conducted this week to gather more information on another of DS1's experimental technologies, a combination camera imaging spectrometer. An imaging spectrometer allows the construction of a picture in which each small element of the picture, known as a pixel, contains information on the spectrum of light; that is, the light is broken into its individual colors, as when you look through a prism. The imaging spectrometers in DS1 work in the ultraviolet and infrared, and the resulting data will allow scientists to determine, among other things, the chemical composition of objects being viewed. Traditional spacecraft would have 3 separate devices to accomplish all the functions of this one. But for NASA to launch smaller, more cost effective missions, it will be important to integrate these functions into small packages. Thus, DS1 is testing a miniature integrated camera spectrometer, which, following the tradition of inspirational naming, is known by its initials as MICAS. The innovative design is a result of a collaboration among the United States Geological Survey, SSG, Inc., the University of Arizona, Boston University, the Rockwell Science Center, and JPL. While on board so that the device can be tested for future missions, MICAS also has been used by AutoNav to take the pictures it needs. A lesser objective of MICAS will be to return scientific data during DS1's planned encounter this summer with an asteroid. The encounter is designed to present a final challenging test for some of the technologies, but it also presents an opportunity to gather exciting scientific data.

Beginning late on March 15, DS1 will resume thrusting with its ion propulsion system. The spacecraft will spend more than 6 weeks thrusting under direction from AutoNav, with interruptions of about half a day each week to allow AutoNav to collect its asteroid and star images and to allow the spacecraft to point its main antenna at Earth. In preparation for the thrusting, the ion propulsion system was turned on for an hour late last week for the first time in 5 weeks. It operated perfectly, proving that it is ready to begin its long and gentle push on the spacecraft.

Deep Space 1 is over 130 times as far away as the moon and over one third as far away as the Sun today. At this distance of over 50 million kilometers, or more than 31 million miles, radio signals traveling at the universal limit of the speed of light, take over 5 and a half minutes to make the round trip.

In preparation for thrusting, several important computer files will be transmitted to the spacecraft next week. In addition more technology tests are planned. This recording will be updated late in the week of March 15 to summarize those activities and to report on the beginning of thrusting. So be sure to tune in then for the beginning of another chapter in the exciting voyage of Deep Space 1.