Hi Monty,

I just realized this didn't go to the Group but rather just to me. So, here
it is for everyone. Very interesting stuff.

Best regards,
Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: notify@yahoogroups.com [mailto:notify@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
cwez22
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 7:30 AM
To: Michael Swanson
Subject: Launch of DAWN

Morning Everyone

RAC Member-en-absentia, Monty here. Just wanted to pass along one of
many links to news stories today on NASA's Dawn mission:

http://news.aol.com/story/ar/_a/first-interplanetary-spaceship-
blasts/20070927131609990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Hope this link works. The Dawn probe will visit the asteroids Vesta
and Ceres. (Oops, I guess I can't call Ceres an "asteroid" any
more!)

What's really exciting is that the spacecraft will actually orbit
Vesta until its mission there is complete, and then swing on to Ceres
where it will attain a second orbit. It will be assisted by a
working Ion propulsion plant. This will make the small spacecraft a
truly "interplanetary" vessel--visiting multiple worlds using more
than celestial mechanics.

I'm really excited about this mission, but I'll never get over the
massive mathematical wizardry of Voyager II. It still amazes me that
she visited four worlds purly utilizing gravity assists and truly
cosmic timing. Who'd have guessed that the outer planets would have
aligned so perfectly right in the 1970's when that technology came of
age!

Well, I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you all, and I miss
racing Mike's "go-to" drive with my old Dob! I wish you all clear
skies and great seeing from Virginia.

Take care! everyone,
Monty sends