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The Planetary Society Blog
By Emily Lakdawalla
Prelaunch preparations continue for Dawn and Phoenix
May. 18, 2007 | 16:08 PDT | 23:08 UTC
I've been keeping my eye on the photo archives at Kennedy Space Center, and it looks like they're making steady progress getting the next two planetary spacecraft ready for their launches: Dawn, which will head for the asteroid belt on or after June 30, and Phoenix, which heads for Mars on or after August 3.
For Dawn, the latest event was the installation of the nickel-sized microchip that contains the names of all the people who signed up to send their names to the asteroid belt, as well as all of the members of The Planetary Society. Installation of the names microchip on DawnAt the Astrotech Space Operations facility at Kennedy Space Center on May 17, 2007, technicians install a microchip onto a side brace of the Dawn spacecraft. The microchip (inset, upper left) contains the names of more than 360,000 people who signed up to send their names to the asteroid belt, as well as the names of all Planetary Society members. Credit: NASA / Jim Grossmann |
And for Phoenix, they've been busy spin-balancing the spacecraft. Pretty much every planetary spacecraft spins as it cruises through space, for stability's sake. So, before it's launched, a spacecraft has to be balanced, much as a car's wheels do, or else the whole thing will wobble. Wobbling isn't good for cars; it can be catastrophic for a spacecraft, so this is an important step.Preparations for the launch of PhoenixTop row, left: On May 8, the morning after its delivery to the Kennedy Space Center, the Phoenix spacecraft is being unpacked inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Top row, center: On May 9, an overhead crane lifts the heat shield from the lander and backshell. Top row, right: On May 10, a crane lifts the lander and backshell to a work stand. Bottom row, left: On May 10, the spacecraft and backshell undergo spin-balance testing. Bottom row, center: On May 11, the heat shield has been reinstalled, and spin-balance testing continues. Bottom row, right: In Hangar A&O on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 17, 2007, workers conduct a steering test of the first stage of the Delta II rocket that will eventually launch Phoenix. Credit: NASA / George Shelton / Kim Shiflett |
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