SMART-1 Status Report - November 2005
As predicted all useable fuel for the Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) module was consumed around 17 September close to the end of the planned orbit re-boosts. This is an outstanding success and a truly exciting technical achievement. Both the Operations Team and Flight Dynamics at ESOC in close collaboration with the industrial partners literally squeezed the maximum performance out of the SEP unit.
The achieved orbit will guarantee an excellent science mission until end June 2006, a little shorter than the best case predictions. The SMART- 1 mission will end mid August 2006 when the spacecraft will crash onto the lunar surface.
Operations and Archiving
Payload operations were resumed shortly after the end of the orbit boost period. The STOC (Science and Technology Operations Centre) at ESTEC has prepared the push broom operations for AMIE, which will start early October.