******************************************************************************* Revised: Jan 03, 2019 Dawn Spacecraft (interplanetary) / (Sun) -203 http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/ END OF MISSION: The Dawn mission was completed when scheduled communication with the DSN did not occur on Oct 31 and Nov 01 of 2018. It is believed that after 11 years and 6.9 billion km, the spacecraft ran out of hydrazine fuel as expected and is no longer able to control pointing of the solar panels toward the Sun or antenna toward the Earth. It is expected to remain in orbit around Ceres for the next 20 years, with a 99% chance of remaining for 50 years, but no further tracking from Earth is possible. The trajectory here includes a prediction for Dawn's orbit extending 25 years after End-of-Mission (EOM). However, this prediction does not reflect delta-V perturbations caused by any EOM safing events. No credible models of thruster firings were recovered, nor was sufficient tracking data available to reconstruct the EOM event. NOTE: To obtain an ephemeris of Dawn with respect to Vesta or Ceres, set the coordinate center to @2000004 or @2000001 respectively. MISSION DESCRIPTION: Dawn's goal is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch by investigating in detail Ceres and Vesta, two of the largest protoplanets remaining intact since formation. KEY EVENTS (nominal pre-launch plan): Launch: Sep 27, 2007 7:34 a.m. EDT (14 min. into window) Mars gravity assist: Feb 18, 2009 00:28:00 UTC (3945.4 km from center) Vesta arrival: Jul 16, 2011 (Earth->Vesta= 2.8 billion km) Vesta departure: Sep 5, 2012 Ceres arrival: Mar 5, 2015 (Vesta->Ceres= 1.6 billion km) (Earth->Ceres= 4.9 billion km) End of primary mission: ~Jul 2015 End of Mission : Oct 31, 2018 Launch: Delta II Heavy 2925H-9.5, including Star 48 upper stage Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Launch Complex 17-B Launch window: One per day, 19 to 44 minutes each. SPACECRAFT Dimensions : 1.64 m long, 1.27 m wide, 1.77 m high Weight : 1217.7 kg (total for launch). Breakdown: 747.1 kg (spacecraft), 425 kg (xenon propellant), 45.6 kg (hydrazine propellant), Solar array : Two 8.3 x 2.3 m panels (63 kg each) 10 kw combined output (depending on distance from Sun) 20 m long, tip-to-tip when deployed Power storage: 35 amp-hour nickel hydrogen battery SPACECRAFT INSTRUMENTS: 1. Framing Camera : visual imaging 2. Visual and Infrared Spectrometer : spectral imaging 3. Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer: measure surface elemental abundances PROPULSION Dawn uses 3 ion thrusters to reach Vesta once separated from the Delta II. It will use the thrusters to spiral to lower altitudes on Vesta, leave Vesta, cruise to Ceres, and spiral to a low altitude orbit at Ceres. Weight : 8.9 kg each Dimensions : 33 cm long, 41 cm diameter Specific impulse : 3100 s Thrust : 19-91 mN Acceleration : 0-60 mph in 4 days Operational time : 2000 days of thrust (entire mission) SPACECRAFT TRAJECTORY (begins ~4 minutes after 3rd stage separation): Trajectories from JPL Navigation Team: Start End ----------------------------------------- ----------- ----------- Final reconstruction from tracking data 2007-Sep-27 2018-Oct-31 Prediction 2018-Oct-31 2043-Oct-29 ***************************************************************************** Required masses not defined, osculating elements not available !$$SOF CENTER = '500@2000001' COMMAND = '-203' CSV_FORMAT = 'NO' EL = '1' MAKE_EPHEM = 'YES' OBJ_DATA = 'YES' OUT_UNITS = 'KM-S' REF_PLANE = 'ECLIPTIC' REF_SYSTEM = 'J2000' START_TIME = '2018-10-30' STEP_SIZE = '1 h' STOP_TIME = '2018-10-30 00:00:00.01' TABLE_TYPE = 'ELEMENTS' VEC_DELTA_T = 'NO' VEC_LABELS = 'NO' VEC_TABLE = '2x' VECT_CORR = 'NONE'