MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 7, Number 23, 19 June 2000. Editors: Dr. David J. Thomas, Biology and Chemistry Division, Lyon College, Batesville, AR 72503-2317, USA. dthomas@lyon.edu Dr. Julian A. Hiscox, School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AJ, United Kingdom. J.A.Hiscox@reading.ac.uk Marsbugs is published on a weekly to quarterly basis as warranted by the number of articles and announcements. Copyright of this compilation exists with the editors, except for specific articles, in which instance copyright exists with the author/authors. While we cannot copyright our mailing list, our readers would appreciate it if others would not send unsolicited e-mail using the Marsbugs mailing list. The editors do not condone "spamming" of our subscribers. Persons who have information that may be of interest to subscribers of Marsbugs should send that information to the editors. E-mail subscriptions are free, and may be obtained by contacting either of the editors. Article contributions are welcome, and should be submitted to either of the two editors. Contributions should include a short biographical statement about the author(s) along with the author(s)' correspondence address. Subscribers are advised to make appropriate inquiries before joining societies, ordering goods etc. Back issues and Adobe Acrobat PDF files suitable for printing may be obtained from the official Marsbugs web page at http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/marsbugs/marsbugs.html. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide a channel of information for scientists, educators and other persons interested in exobiology and related fields. This newsletter is not intended to replace peer- reviewed journals, but to supplement them. We, the editors, envision Marsbugs as a medium in which people can informally present ideas for investigation, questions about exobiology, and announcements of upcoming events. Astrobiology is still a relatively young field, and new ideas may come from the most unexpected places. Subjects may include, but are not limited to: exobiology and astrobiology (life on other planets), the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), ecopoeisis and terraformation, Earth from space, planetary biology, primordial evolution, space physiology, biological life support systems, and human habitation of space and other planets. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS 1) BACK TO THE GARDEN: NASA GOES FROM PLANTS TO PLANETS JPL release 2) AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT CONTINUED SPACE EXPLORATION AS REVEALED BY CNBC/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC POLL CNBC release 3) MIRCORP'S PRIVATELY-FUNDED MISSION TO SAVE MIR ENDS WITH COSMONAUTS' TOUCHDOWN IN KAZAKHSTAN--RENOVATED RUSSIAN SPACE STATION IS DECLARED READY FOR COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS MirCorp release 4) TERRAFORMING WORKSHOP, 10-11 OCTOBER By Christopher P. McKay 5) NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY, EXOBIOLOGY AND TERRAFORMATION INDEX By David J. Thomas 6) CASSINI WEEKLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS JPL release 7) THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 8) ISS STATUS REPORT NASA/JSC release 9) MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT JPL release 10) STARDUST STATUS REPORT JPL release --------------------------------------------------------------------- BACK TO THE GARDEN: NASA GOES FROM PLANTS TO PLANETS JPL release 13 June 2000 NASA scientists have gone back to the garden, "planting" wireless webs of small sensors in gardens here on Earth in preparation for missions to help monitor biological activity on planets. Sensor webs like those being tested will help make possible a key NASA goal to establish a virtual presence for exploration throughout the solar system. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, and the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA, have joined forces to study micro-climates, placing webs in the various specialized gardens at the Huntington. Like satellites and telescopes remotely "measuring" planets across the vast reaches of space, the webs allow large areas to be monitored. Unlike remote operations, sensor webs are placed inside the environment--thus making them capable of on-site detection not possible from afar. For example, satellite measurements cannot penetrate deep below the ocean surface or detect extremely small quantities of gases coming off a planetary surface. The sensor webs could combine the spatial coverage of a satellite with the precision of an on-site instrument. "Sensor webs offer us the means to make sensitive measurements over large areas," said Dr. Kevin Delin, leader of the Sensor Webs Project at JPL. "A major thrust of our current effort is to develop a sensor web that can detect, identify and monitor any biological activity. For example, trace biosignature gases are very important if you are a biogeochemist trying to understand the carbon cycle on Earth or searching for microorganisms living beneath the surface of a planet." A sensor web consists of a number of small pods, each housing transducers that collect data from the environment and communication chips that move the data around the web to primary pods. The information is then transmitted to the Internet or an overhead satellite. "Hopping" the data in short distances from pod to pod makes the overall data transmission more energy efficient. In addition, the "hopped" data is shared by all of the pods, allowing each one to know what is being collected elsewhere on the web. The pods that are being tested monitor local temperature, humidity, soil moisture, and light levels. Initial observations will take place in a controlled greenhouse environment, then progress to a nursery, and on to overlapping microclimate areas. Pods are housed in small plastic containers about the size of a sandwich box. Other sensor web pods developed by Delin and Shannon Jackson, also of JPL and lead engineer on the project, look much like a gumball toy, but contain specialized instruments. The Huntington Botanical Gardens is a "perfect place," says Delin, to field test the sensor web since there are varied garden environments in the 150-acre grounds that reflect many different micro-climates, from desert to semi-tropical to cool. "We are quite fortunate to be able to work with the staff at the Huntington Gardens to test our system, since they are so experienced in botanical research," Delin said. This collaboration between institutions is mutually beneficial, according to James Folsom, Director of the Botanical Gardens. "It's always great to work with the scientists from JPL, even more so in this instance. The Huntington's staff sees remarkable potential for the development of these sensors, in both field study and gardens management." Another advantage to wireless sensor webs is the easy replacement of modules when sensor instruments degrade or batteries fail. New modules, including primary ones, can be added to the sensor web at any time. Multiple webs deployed in a given area will easily mesh with each other. On Earth, webs could be dropped from an airplane, while for other bodies in the solar system the webs could be released from spacecraft, fired from a lander, or dropped from a small rover. Another possibility is ballistically driving the modules into the steep sides of a canyon for measurements in inaccessible areas. The Huntington is a private, nonprofit research and cultural center serving both scholars and the general public. The institution is dedicated to the study of history, literature, art, science and culture, as well as botanical research and education. The Botanical Gardens were first developed in 1903. About 15,000 kinds of plants from all over the world make up the botanical collections, many landscaped into a series of theme gardens. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Images associated with this release are available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/tech/sensorweb. --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT CONTINUED SPACE EXPLORATION AS REVEALED BY CNBC/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC POLL CNBC release 13 June 2000 Despite new setbacks in the American space program, an 80% majority of Americans think we have not gone far enough and that there is still much to learn about space exploration, according to a recent CNBC/National Geographic EXPLORER poll. The poll was conducted as part of National Geographic EXPLORER's two-hour television event, "Destination Space," premiering on Sunday, June 18 at 8 PM ET/PT only on CNBC. A majority of those polled (51%) voiced continued support for NASA and the space program as a good use of tax dollars. A further sampling of the poll revealed: --44% of those polled still rank the first lunar landing as one of the top two or three advancements in the last part of the 20th century, nearly 31 years after man first set foot on the moon. --42% of those polled believe that the most important reason to invest in the space program is scientific and medical research. --Nearly one-third of those polled (32%) said they would be willing to vacation on the moon, while a close 37% opted for a beautiful beach. Only 20% would go to a foreign country. --Nearly half (49%) of those polled believe that if we discover intelligent life in space, it will be friendly, but 61% say that intelligent life would not look like earthlings. Host Boyd Matson will reveal more details about the CNBC/National Geographic Explorer poll on the broadcast. [To participate in a separate space poll, go to nationalgeographic.com beginning June 11.] Co-produced with Newsweek Productions, this special edition of National Geographic Explorer goes beyond today's rockets and space shuttles to a time in the not-so-distant future when people will be living on the moon, mining asteroids, vacationing on Mars and exploring planets and stars beyond our galaxy. What is our future in space? National Geographic Explorer investigates several possibilities in "Destination Space"--from bold spacecraft designs to lunar colonies. As we enter the next era of space travel, space is just not for astronauts anymore. Building on its reputation for remarkable visuals and compelling stories, National Geographic Television (NGT) augments its award- winning documentary production with new prime time drama, large- format and feature film programming, as well as international broadcast and video distribution. NGT is partnered with NBC and Fox Entertainment to grow the National Geographic Channels worldwide, currently operating in 64 countries and reaching over 53 million households. National Geographic will launch a Channel in the U.S. in the second half of 2000. Presently, NGT programming can be seen in the U.S. on CNBC and PBS networks as well as through syndication and home video. NGT programming can be seen internationally through video distribution and broadcast syndication in more then 100 different outlets in some 90 territories. CNBC is the recognized global leader in televised business news, providing real-time financial market coverage and business information to more than 150 million homes worldwide, with significant viewership out of the home by professional and individual investors throughout the business day. In the U.S. alone, CNBC is distributed to more than 71 million households, providing business news as a joint service of its parent, NBC, and Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. CNBC viewers can manage their individual investment portfolios, and gain additional in-depth information from on air reports, by accessing CNBC.com on the Worldwide Web. In primetime, CNBC provides broad-based news, talk and entertainment programming. Weekends feature entertainment and talk programming. Peter Hart Research Associates, Inc. was commissioned by CNBC/National Geographic Explorer to conduct the poll. This study is based on a statistical sample that provides a representative cross section of the adult population of the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The study was conducted by telephone among a sample of 600 adults age 18 and older at 210 randomly determined localities throughout the country on May 20 and 21, 2000. The overall results of this survey have a margin of error of ±4.1%. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MIRCORP'S PRIVATELY-FUNDED MISSION TO SAVE MIR ENDS WITH COSMONAUTS' TOUCHDOWN IN KAZAKHSTAN--RENOVATED RUSSIAN SPACE STATION IS DECLARED READY FOR COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS MirCorp release 16 June 2000 The world's first commercial mission to renovate a manned space station and open it for commercial operations ended successfully today with the soft landing of two Russian cosmonauts in Kazakhstan. Mission commander Sergei Zalyotin and flight engineer Alexander Kalery emerged from their Soyuz TM-30 transport spacecraft after touching down on the Kazakh steppe at 00:44 GMT. Their recovery by a specialized ground crew marked the end to a long-duration flight sponsored by MirCorp that revived the station, making it ready for follow-on commercial missions. "Working in partnership with our Russian colleagues, we have demonstrated the viability of MirCorp's business model," MirCorp President Jeffrey Manber said. "We are excited about the commercial prospects for this extremely capable space station." Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, one of MirCorp's major investors, declared the station ready for long-term operation as a commercial space platform. "The successful conclusion of this flight is one of MirCorp's most significant milestones to date," he said. "The cosmonauts confirmed that Mir is in good working order, and they demonstrated the value of Mir to the world's business community. We now are preparing the groundwork for upcoming missions to the station." Highlights of the MirCorp sponsored flight with Zalyotin and Kalery included: The first privately sponsored extravehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalk). The May 12 spacewalk included a pioneering test of future techniques to repair space stations. The renovation of Mir--including repairing a small air leak detected during a previous mission and the implementation of a system to downlink digital images and content. The first resupply of a space station using missions financed by the private sector. Two such flights with unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft were carried out--one on February 3 (prior to the cosmonauts' arrival on board Mir), and the other on April 27, which occurred during the crew's third week on the station. Cosmonauts Zalyotin and Kalery spent a total of 73 days aboard Mir, orbiting the Earth 1,100 times while working on the station. The Holland-based MirCorp was formed earlier this year to develop commercial operations on Mir. The company acts as a facilitator, beginning with the establishment of business conditions for Mir's use, and continuing through successful completion of a user's activity on board the station. MirCorp is 60% owned by RSC Energia--the manufacturer and operator of Mir--while the remaining 40% held by its financial investors. Press/media contact: Jeffrey M. Lenorovitz The InfoWEST Group Telephone (U.S.): +1 (703) 448-5669 Telephone (France): +33 6 80-85-86-25 e-mail: jleno@infowestgroup.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- TERRAFORMING WORKSHOP, 10-11 OCTOBER By Christopher P. McKay 19 June 2000 Workshop on the science of terraforming Mars. Tuesday and Wednesday 10 & 11 Oct 2000 (following the monday holiday). NASA Ames Research Center, building 245 main auditorium. For more informaton contact C. P. McKay at cmckay@arc.nasa.gov. The purpose of this two day workshop is to consider the physics and biology of the process by which Mars could be restored to habitable conditions. Topics to be covered include: I. Mars Climate Exchangeable reservoirs of CO2 and water on Mars: polar caps & atmosphere. Exchangeable reservoirs of CO2 and water on Mars: regolith infrared absorption properties of "super greenhouse" gases as high concentrations. Warming Mars using "super greenhouse" gases. Engineering approaches to warming Mars. Carbonate decomposition and completing the carbon cycle on Mars. II. Photochemistry O2 and O3 levels in a thick CO2 atmosphere on future Mars. Rain and circulation on future Mars. UV light on present and future Mars. III. Ecology Antarctic & desert ecosystems as analogs for the first martian ecosystems. Arctic ecology applied to Mars. Ecological succession on Mars. Growing alpine plants on Mars. Tropical tree line, growing pines on Mars. Habitable planets for trees. Nitrogen cycling on Mars. From CLESS to Mars. IV. Genetics Engineering life to survive and thrive on Mars. What can be done with genetic engineering? Sending life to Mars, near term missions. Long term plans for enhancing the volatile inventory of Mars. Biological replacements for plate tectonics. Environmental ethics of planetary engineering. --------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW ADDITIONS TO THE ASTROBIOLOGY, EXOBIOLOGY AND TERRAFORMATION INDEX By David J. Thomas 19 June 2000 Astrobiology, exobiology and terraformation articles online http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s1.html I. Crawford, 2000. Aliens: where are they? Scientific American, 282(7). National Research Council, 1999. Size Limits of Very Small Microorganisms: Proceedings of a Workshop. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. Articles on the biology of extreme environments (on Earth) http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s2.html J. P. Bowman, S. A. McCammon, M. V. Brown, D. S. Nichols and T. A. McMeekin, 1997. Diversity and association of psychrophilic bacteria in Antarctic sea ice. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 63(8):3068-3078. M. Fabiano and R. Danovaro, 1998. Enzymatic activity, bacterial distribution, and organic matter composition in sediments of the Ross Sea (Antarctica). Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64(10):3838-3845. J. J. Gosink and J. T. Staley, 1995. Biodiversity of gas vacuolate bacteria from Antarctic sea ice and water. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 61(9):3486-3489. C. Kato, L. Li, Y. Nogi, Y. Nakamura, J. Tamaoka and K. Horikoshi, 1998. Extremely barophilic bacteria isolated from the Mariana Trench, Challenger Deep, at a depth of 11,000 meters. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64(4):1510-1513. A. E. Murray, C. M. Preston, R. Massana, L. T. Taylor, A. Blakis, K. Wu and E. F. DeLong, 1998. Seasonal and spatial variability of bacterial and archaeal assemblages in the coastal waters near Anvers Island, Antarctica. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64(7):2585-2995. J. Wakefield, 2000. The search for extreme life (profile of Baruch S. Blumberg). Scientific American, 282(7). Y. Yano, A. Nakayama, K. Ishihara and H. Saito, 1998. Adaptive changes in membrane lipids of barophilic bacteria in response to changes in growth pressure. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64(2):479-485. Articles on human space exploration and the microgravity environment http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/online_article s3.html National Research Council, 1997. Radiation Hazards to Crews of Interplanetary Missions: Biological Issues and Research Strategies. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Research Council, 1997. Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Selected Airborne Contaminants: Volume 3. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Research Council, 1997. Science Management in the Human Exploration of Space. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Research Council, 2000. Interim Report #3 on Spacecraft Water Exposure Guidelines. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Research Council, 2000. Institutional Arrangements for Space Station Research. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. National Research Council, 1997. Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations for Selected Airborne Contaminants: Volume 4. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. Astrobiology and extreme environments book list http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/dthomas/astrobiology/astrobiology_b ooks.html A. Brack (ed.), 1999. The Molecular Origins of Life: Assembling Pieces of the Puzzle. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. J. Chela Flores, M. Chadha, A. Negron-Mendoza (eds.), 1995. Chemical Evolution: Self-Organization of the Macromolecules of Life. Proceedings of the Trieste Conference on Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life. A. Deepak Publishing, Hampton. J. Chela-Flores and Francois Raulin (eds.), 1996. Chemical Evolution: Physics of the Origin and Evolution of Life. Proceedings of the Fourth Trieste Conference on Chemical Evolution, Trieste, Italy. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. J. Chela-Flores (ed.), 1997. Trieste Conference on Chemical Evolution. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. F. Dyson, 1999. Origins of Life. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. R. Godwin, 2000. Mars: The NASA Mission Reports. Collector's Guide Publishing. S. Kaufmann, 1995. At Home in the Universe: The Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity. Oxford University Press, New York. K. Matsuno (ed.), 1984. Molecular Evolution and Protobiology. Plenum Publishing, New York. G. Nicolis (ed.), 1984. Aspects of Chemical Evolution. Wiley, New York. C. Ponnamperuma (ed.), 1982. Comets and the Origin of Life. Proceedings of the Fifth College Park Colloquium on Chemical Evolution. D. Reidel Publishing, Boston. C. Ponnamperuma and F. R. Eirich (eds.), 1990. Prebiological Self Organization of Matter. A. Deepak Publishers, Hampton. C. Ponnamperuma and J. Chela-Flores (eds.), 1993. Chemical Evolution--Origin of Life. Proceedings of the Trieste Conference on Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life. A. Deepak Publishers, Hampton. C. Ponnamperuma and J. Chela-Flores (eds.), 1995. Chemical Evolution: The Structure and Model of the First Cell. Conference on the Structure and Model of the First Cell, Held in Trieste, Italy. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. M. Shilo and P. Hirsch (eds.), 1979. Strategies of Microbial Life in Extreme Environments: Report of the Dahlem Workshop on Strategy of Life in Extreme Environments, Berlin, 1978, November 20-24. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim. R. H. Vreeland and L. I. Hochstein (eds.), 1992. The Biology of Halophilic Bacteria. CRC Press, Boca Raton. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CASSINI WEEKLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS JPL release 8-14 June 2000 The most recent spacecraft telemetry data was acquired from the Canberra tracking station on Wednesday, 06/14. The Cassini spacecraft is in an excellent state of health and is operating normally. Instrument flight software checkout continued this week with ISS collecting additional darkframe datasets, and CIRS execution of a calibration activity. The speed of the spacecraft can be viewed on the "Where is Cassini Now?" web page at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/today/. A major activity for this week was Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM) 14. Prior to uplink, the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA), Magnetospheric Imaging (MIMI), Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS), Magnetometer (MAG), and Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instruments were transitioned to SLEEP mode. The TCM-14 Mini- Sequence was then uplinked to the spacecraft. The maneuver executed nominally at 10:00 AM PDT, with a main engine burn of about 6 seconds and 0 .58 meters per second of velocity change. TCM-14 targets the correct position for a Jupiter gravity assist allowing Cassini to arrive at the Saturnian System for a Phoebe flyby and Saturn Oribit Insertion. Following TCM-14, CDA, MIMI, UVIS, MAG and RPWS were returned to the active mode. The sub-sequence generation phase for C21 is now complete and work has begun on the sequence integration and validation phase. Outreach participated in a number of events this week: attended a day-long familiarization of the Outdoor Education Program run by the Orange County Office of Education, participated in an all-day workshop sponsored by JPL's Educational Affairs Office discussing California and national science and mathematics standards, assisted in the selection of new Solar System Educators, and performed demonstrations of several classroom activities to 23 teachers from Arizona Indian reservation schools. Project Science Group Meeting (PSG) #23 was held June 5-9 at the University of Nantes in Nantes, France. The Multi-Mission Image Processing Laboratory (MIPL) delivered the L1A data processing system for Jupiter Flyby to MIPL integration and test on June 13, and is on schedule to deliver the system to operations in mid-August. The Preliminary Tour Operations Verification and Validation (V&V) Plan was issued this week. This document outlines the strategy to verify and validate Project Level 3 requirements, Operations Interface Agreements, Operations Concepts, and to serve as a guide for development of Office/Team V&V plans. --------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK ON GALILEO JPL release 12-18 June 2000 Galileo begins to transition from a purely data-gathering mode to concentrating on playing back science data stored on its onboard tape recorder. Through the end of this week, Galileo's data transmissions will be shared by the two activities. Observations continue to be performed by the Fields and Particles instruments and the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EUV), while playback entails the return of observations made by the Solid-State Imaging camera (SSI), the Near- Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS), and the Photopolarimeter Radiometer (PPR). These latter observations are not from Galileo's most recent Ganymede encounter on May 20, but rather are from its daring fourth flyby of Io performed on February 22. That flyby was Galileo's closest-ever approach to the volcanic moon, at an altitude of only 198 kilometers (123 miles)! Prior to the Wednesday start of playback, Galileo performs routine maintenance on its onboard tape recorder. The EUV instrument continues its remote observations of the Io torus this week. The torus is a ring-shaped region of intense plasma and radiation activity, which is maintained by Jupiter's strong electric and magnetic fields and Io's volcanic activity. The data obtained will allow scientists to continue studying the shape and energy output of the torus, and perform long term comparisons with data obtained since Galileo's arrival at Jupiter in December 1995. The Fields and Particles instruments also continue their observation of Jupiter's magnetosphere and surrounding solar wind. These are the final days of the four-week survey, which ends on Tuesday. The survey will provide measurements through the inner and outer magnetosphere and Galileo's transition into the free solar wind, and will help project planners to prepare for joint activities with the Cassini spacecraft starting in October of this year. Cassini will fly past Jupiter in December 2000 on its way to a Saturn arrival in 2004. The Dust Detector instrument (DDS) will continue to collect and return data through Monday of next week. It continues to map the distribution and character of dust streams that emanate from the Jupiter system. A recent analysis of DDS data from Galileo's primary mission through both the GEM (Galileo Europa Mission) and GMM (Galileo Millennium Mission) mission extensions has shown that these dust streams originate with volcanic activity on Io's surface. Playback schedules for the latter half of the week contain the return of three observations. In the first, SSI returns an observation of Io's Prometheus volcanic region. The observation captures the Prometheus plume source and active lava flow at a resolution of approximately 13 meters (43 feet) per picture element. The next two observations are returned by NIMS, with additional PPR data contained in the second. An observation of the Chaac Patera region contains only NIMS data. The Chaac region includes areas on Io that are informally knows as "golf courses" because of their greenish color and their shape. The final observation, containing additional PPR data, is a mosaic of several volcanic regions on Io. For more information on the Galileo spacecraft and its mission to Jupiter, please visit the Galileo home page at one of the following URL's: http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS STATUS REPORT NASA/JSC release 15 June 2000 Flight controllers in Houston and Moscow are beginning to prepare of the International Space Station for the launch of its third major component, the Zvezda Service Module, expected in a few weeks. The Station continues to operate well and flight controllers have noted no problems with any systems onboard. Activities planned this week include a health check of the Kurs automatic docking system, the primary system the Station will use to rendezvous and dock with the Zvezda module once it reaches orbit. Zvezda remains targeted for launch on a Russian Proton Rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakstan, between July 10-12. A final launch date for Zvezda is expected to be announced following a General Designer's Review meeting of Russian and United States station managers to be held in Moscow on June 26. Flight controllers in Moscow are continuing an analysis of results from a test conducted last week of the backup manual docking system aboard the station. The test showed no indications of any problems with the systems aboard the spacecraft. However, it is believed that a ground communications problem may have prevented some test commands from reaching the station. The backup manual rendezvous and docking system, called the TORU system, would only be used if an automatic docking with Zvezda were unsuccessful. Next week, commands will be sent to the station to begin transferring propellants to appropriate tanks in preparation for engine firings that will be conducted for the rendezvous and docking. A total of 1,650 pounds (748 kilograms) of propellants will be moved between tanks in two seven-hour-long procedures in preparation for the rendezvous with Zvezda. The International Space Station is in an orbit with a high point of 245 statute miles and a low point of 230 statute miles (394 x 371 kilometers), circling Earth every 92 minutes. --------------------------------------------------------------------- MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR STATUS REPORT JPL release 14 June 2000 Launch / Days since Launch = Nov 7, 1996 / 1316 days Start of Mapping / Days since Start of Mapping = April 1, 1999 / 440 days Total Mapping Orbits = 5674 Total Orbits = 7277 Recent events The spacecraft continues to operate nominally in performing the beta- supplement daily recording and transmission of science data. The mm046 background sequence executed successfully from 00-160 (6/08/00) through 00-163 (6/11/00). The mm047 background sequence has been performing nominally since 00-164 (6/12/00) and will terminate at the end of day 00-166 (6/14/00). The mm048 sequence was successfully uplinked on 00-165 (6/13/00) and will begin executing on 00-167 (6/15/00). Spacecraft health All subsystems report nominal health. Uplinks: There have been 17 uplinks to the spacecraft during the last week, including new star catalogs and ephemeris files, instrument command loads, and the background sequences cited above. Total command files radiated to the spacecraft since launch is 4702. Upcoming events We are in the final stages of Solar Conjunction command sequence generation and testing. The mm050 and mm051 sequences will contain the lion's share of spacecraft commands for the Solar Conjunction period, 6/21/00 through 7/12/00. To prepare for Solar Conjunction, the MOC will be turned off using commands resident in the mm049 sequence. We expect to return to normal spacecraft configuration and beta-supplement command sequences starting with mm052 on 00-195 (7/13/00). --------------------------------------------------------------------- STARDUST STATUS REPORT JPL release 16 June 2000 There were two Deep Space Network (DSN) tracking passes the past week as Stardust returns to its cruise activities. All subsystems onboard the spacecraft are performing normally. The remaining Navigation Camera images were transmitted to Earth, bringing the total number of images sent to the ground at twenty-eight. Flight sequence SC018 is the current sequence, and sequence SC019 has already been sent to the spacecraft and will start next week. Stardust Outreach participated in a Science Teachers Workshop with the Claremont School District in Southern California. For more information on the Stardust mission--the first ever comet sample return mission--please visit the Stardust home page at http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov. --------------------------------------------------------------------- End Marsbugs, Volume 7, Number 23.