DEEP SPACE 1 MISSION STATUS, October 24, 1998

MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109  TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov

Deep Space 1, the first spacecraft in NASA's New Millennium Program of missions to flight-test new technologies, blasted into space at 8:08 a.m. Eastern time today from Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL.

Deep Space 1 separated from the Delta II launch vehicle about 550 kilometers (345 miles) above the Indian Ocean and was sent on its way to test 12 technologies in coming months. The spacecraft is on a trajectory to fly by asteroid 1992 KD in July 1999, allowing further validation of two science instruments.

All critical spacecraft systems, such as power, temperature and attitude control were performing well, the spacecraft team reported from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.  Two technologies -- large solar arrays and a new radio transmitter/receiver -- were validated within the first two hours after launch. "The Deep Space 1 spacecraft is in fine health and is ready to begin its mission of technology validation," said Deputy Mission Manager Dr. Marc Rayman at JPL.

Telemetry was received from the spacecraft through NASA's Deep Space Network at 1 hour, 37 minutes after launch, and 13 minutes later it was determined that the spacecraft's two solar arrays had been deployed. A key new technology, the spacecraft's ion engine, will be tested for the first time in approximately two weeks.

The New Millennium Program is designed to test new technologies so that they can be confidently used on science missions of the 21st century.

(copyright NASA/JPL)

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