Latest / Space Exploration Stories
The Two‑Centimeter Chip Ran Out of Hydrazine and Left Them Waiting
A two-centimeter chip sits over Dawn’s ion thruster-did they keep the probe alive long enough to finish its mission?
The Two‑Centimeter Chip Ran Out of Hydrazine and Left Them Waiting
In this episode, we follow the Dawn spacecraft’s improbable eleven-year journey and the choices that kept it flying. From cancelled program decisions to years of low-thrust navigation, what did it cost to keep Dawn alive and silent above Ceres?
Spacecraft: Dawn
Person: Christopher T. Russell
Date: November 1, 2018
Location: Ceres (dwarf planet)
Event: Hydrazine depletion ended communications
- An engineer’s 1959…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.