Deep Space 1

Deep Space 1
Artist concept of Deep Space 1 firing its ion thrusters
Mission typeTechnology demonstrator
OperatorNASA / JPL
COSPAR ID1998-061A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.25508
Websitejpl.nasa.gov
Mission duration3 years, 1 month and 24 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerOrbital Sciences
Launch mass486 kg (1,071 lb)[1]
Dry mass373 kg (822 lb)[1]
Dimensions2.1 × 11.8 × 2.5 m (6.9 × 38.6 × 8.2 ft)
Power2,500 watts[1]
Start of mission
Launch date24 October 1998, 12:08 (1998-10-24UTC12:08) UTC[2]
RocketDelta II 7326[1]
D-261
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-17A[1]
ContractorBoeing
End of mission
DisposalDecommissioned
Deactivated18 December 2001, 20:00 (2001-12-18UTC21) UTC[2]
Flyby of 9969 Braille
Closest approach29 July 1999, 04:46 UTC[2]
Distance26 km (16 mi)
Flyby of 19P/Borrelly
Closest approach22 September 2001, 22:29:33 UTC[2]
Distance2,171 km (1,349 mi)

DS1 mission logo

Deep Space 1 (DS1) was a NASA technology demonstration spacecraft which flew by an asteroid and a comet. It was part of the New Millennium Program, dedicated to testing advanced technologies.

Launched on 24 October 1998, the Deep Space 1 spacecraft carried out a flyby of asteroid 9969 Braille, which was its primary science target. The mission was extended twice to include an encounter with comet 19P/Borrelly and further engineering testing. Problems during its initial stages and with its star tracker led to repeated changes in mission configuration. While the flyby of the asteroid was only a partial success, the encounter with the comet retrieved valuable information.

The Deep Space series was continued by the Deep Space 2 probes, which were launched in January 1999 piggybacked on the Mars Polar Lander and were intended to strike the surface of Mars (though contact was lost and the mission failed). Deep Space 1 was the first NASA spacecraft to use ion propulsion rather than the traditional chemical-powered rockets.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Deep Space 1 Asteroid Flyby" (PDF) (Press kit). NASA. 26 July 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2001. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Deep Space 1". National Space Science Data Center. NASA. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  3. ^ Siddiqi, Asif A. (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF). NASA History Series (2nd ed.). NASA. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-62683-042-4. LCCN 2017059404. SP-2018-4041. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2019.