MISSION PLAN - PDS Small Bodies Node

5.62E-01 1.067E-06 2.694E-06 5.170E-06 5.513E-06
1.00E+00 4.960E-07 1.252E-06 2.400E-06 2.563E-06
1.78E+00 2.306E-07 5.822E-07 1.117E-06 1.192E-06
3.16E+00 1.072E-07 2.707E-07 5.194E-07 5.539E-07
5.62E+00 4.983E-08 1.258E-07 2.414E-07 2.575E-07
Fluence units are -- # of particles for that mass and larger integrated over all velocities
2.4 Science Investigation Descriptions
2.4.1 Science Investigation Requirements
The STARDUST science investigations have levied the following requirements on the
design of the mission:
Primary
• Collect 1000 cometary particles of sizes greater than 15 µm in diameter at an
encounter velocity of less than 6.5 km/s and return them to Earth.
Secondary
• Collect interstellar particles for 150 days minimum.
• Provide greater than 65 images of Wild-2, having a resolution of at least 67 µradians
per pixel, taken within 2000 km of the comet nucleus through selected filters.
• Provide in-situ particle analysis during comet coma flythrough for resolving abundant
elements in cometary solids.
Tertiary
• Provide in-situ particle analysis for interstellar dust.
• Collect comet coma molecules and return them to Earth.
• Conduct dynamic science to measure dust mass fluence, large particles and comet
mass upper limit.
• Provide dust flux measurements of 10 -9 g to 1g particles.
To further understand how these requirements will be met, the following sections
describe in more detail the science environments experienced during the mission.
2.4.2 Comet Wild 2
2.4.2.1 Orbit
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