Deep Space 1 - New Millenium Mission

Deep Space 1 is the first mission of NASA's New Millenium programme. The mission, which is due for launch on July 1, 1998, will be the first to use solar electric propulsion. While the mission is principally a technology test, significant scientific results are expected from its two scientific instruments. The MICAS instrument is an integrated UV and IR spectrograph with imaging system. PEPE is a miniturised plasma analyser. The spacecraft will make fly-bys of asteroid McAuliffe, Mars (including a possible fly-by of Phobos), and comet P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura in a two year flight.

Fifteen scientists (including two from the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Sonnensystemforschung (MPS)) have been selected to assist in the analysis of the scientific data from the two instruments. A colour quantized group photograph of most of the participating scientists shows them in the clean room at JPL will the spacecraft behind them.