Dawn currently issues two newsletters. The first newsletter is principally written for the education community, both formal and informal education. The second newsletter, Dawn's Early Light is written for scientists, both amateur and professional, who are interested in the scientific results of the mission. Please click on the appropriate link if you wish to subscribe to either newsletter.

DAWN NEWS

Dawn in interplanetary cruise.

Instrument check out complete. Dawn on its way to Mars gravity assist.

Dawn successfully fired up its xenon ion propulsion system

Dawn successfully launched.

Dawn launch delayed due to launch window erosion.

Dawn arrives at Astrotech.

Dawn's appeal successful. Go ahead given for launch

Appeal is held on Dawn cancellation

Science Mission Directorate announces Dawn is cancelled

Assessment teams report to NASA on Dawn's technical, management, and financial status. Recommendations made to enable a successful progress to launch

Dawn project stood down for a review of its technical and financial status.

Papers describing Dawn Status and Lessons Learned presented. PDF files of these papers are available by clicking on the links

Dawn presents its estimated cost to complete to NASA Headquarters.

Dawn spacecraft begins ATLO.

Dawn mission passes its ATLO (Assembly, Test, Launch and Orientation) Readiness Review.

Dawn mission passes its Critical Design Review.

Dawn mission confirmed by NASA HQ for development (Phase C/D).
Stay time reduced to keep financial reserves at newly mandated levels.
Laser altimeter and magnetometer are not confirmed.

Article in Planetary and Space Science describes the Dawn mission. A pdf file containing the material is available.

The Dawn's Early Light is a newsletter containing information about the mission and opportunities for research by members of the science community. Copies may be found here.

An article for the Asteroid, Comets, Meteors Conference has been prepared describing the Dawn Mission. A pdf file containing this paper is available.

Dawn was selected on December 21, 2001 as one of two awardees for NASA's Discovery Program. Dawn will be NASA's first purely scientific mission using solar electric propulsion (SEP), an advanced technology that will enable many future aspects of solar system exploration and that has been validated for flight by the New Millennium program's Deep Space 1 mission.

The material on this website was prepared from information gathered for the Concept Study Report. Since the Step 1 proposal NASA has changed the funding profile available for the Discovery program necessitating changes in launch dates and other mission characteristics. The science objectives have not changed from Step 1.


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For more information contact C. T. Russell, ctrussell@igpp.ucla.edu.

Last updated March 17, 2008.