The Planetary Society Blog
By Emily Lakdawalla
The upcoming action for Stardust
Jan. 14, 2006 | 20:05 EST | Jan. 15 01:05 UTC
So, sports fans, here is the lineup for this evening's Stardust sample return, according to NASA: - 20:23 PST / 04:23 UTC: Sample return capsule separation begins
- 21:56 PST / 05:56 UTC: Umbilicals between Stardust and sample return capsule separate
- 21:57 PST / 05:57 UTC: Springs shove sample return capsule away from Stardust
- 22:12 PST / 06:12 UTC: Stardust performs trajectory correction maneuver to enter heliocentric orbit
- 01:57 PST / 09:57 UTC: Sample return capsule enters atmosphere at an altitude of 125 kilometers, 20 kilometers off the West Coast of the USA and 22 kilometers south of the Oregon-California border
- 02:05 PST / 10:05 UTC Main parachute deploys
- 02:12 PST / 10:12 UTC Capsule lands in Utah Test and Training Range
I don't think I'm going to be able to stay up for the whole drama; those of you who live in Europe can enjoy it at a comfortable time on Sunday morning. I'll just have to roll out of bed as soon as my eyes open tomorrow and see what happened!
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