Dawn gets extra 40 days to explore Vesta.
(PHYS.ORG) -- NASA'S DAWN MISSION HAS RECEIVED OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION THAT 40 EXTRA DAYS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO ITS EXPLORATION OF THE GIANT ASTEROID VESTA, THE SECOND MOST MASSIVE OBJECT IN THE MAIN ASTEROID BELT. THE MISSION EXTENSION ALLOWS DAWN TO CONTINUE ITS SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS AT VESTA UNTIL AUG. 26, WHILE STILL ARRIVING AT THE DWARF PLANET CERES AT THE SAME ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TARGET DATE IN FEBRUARY 2015.
"We are leveraging our smooth and successful operations at Vesta to provide for even more scientific discoveries for NASA and the world." said Robert Mase, Dawn project manager based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "This extra time will allow us to extend our scientific investigation and learn more about this mysterious world."
The extension will not require any new funding, and will draw on financial reserves that have been carefully managed by the Dawn project. The flexibility provided by the spacecraft's use of efficient ion propulsion system allows it to maintain its originally planned Ceres arrival.
The extension allows for extra observations at Dawn's current low-altitude mapping orbit (average altitude 130 miles or 210 kilometers), which will now last until May 1. "Read more here..."
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