DAWN'S FATE WILL BE DECIDED IN 10 DAYS
On 30 June enhanced mission mission Dawn, orbiting dwarf planet Ceres in Main asteroid bel, will be completed. Probe became first, which could to learn one space body - Vesta , and then fly towards other- Ceres.
Now Dawn has three options:
- NASA will decide to end mission, whose fuel is almost over and send probe to the Ceres' surface.
- Dawn will be redirected to another bodyin the Belt;
- Spacecraft will stay in Ceres orbit.
Dawn has multiple mechanical faults: of 4 gyroscopes, keeping it stable, three are broken. Its present orbit is stable, and it can spend fuel only for antenna orientation. Its ion thrusters can be broken at any moment, so the best solution is to stay probe orbiting Ceres.
