EPOXI

MISSION

• Alien Maps
  In the next few years, it is very likely that we will discover an Earth-like planet orbiting some other star. But our best images of it will still only show it as a dot a few pixels across. There won't be enough detail to really see the continents and oceans. How might we learn more about the surface features of these new Earth-like planets? Well, the EPOCh scientists asked that question, and by using the amazing Earth observations made in 2008 by instruments aboard the Deep Impact spacecraft, they've made some very interesting and different maps of the Earth to test their new techniques.
  Alien Maps, Dr. Drake Deming
• New Exploration of Tempel 1: Stardust-NExT
  Like EPOXI, NASA's Discovery mission Stardust has a new mission too. During its primary mission, the Stardust spacecraft flew in front of the nucleus and through the halo of gasses and dust at the head of comet Wild 2. During this passage the spacecraft collected dust and volatiles. With Stardust-NExT, it will flyby Tempel 1 on February 14, 2011. Learn how the Stardust-NExT observations will complement the results from Deep Impact by visiting their new mission website!
  stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov/

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EDUCATION

• EPOXI at the National Afterschool Association Convention
  Join NASA scientists and educators as they jazz it up in New Orleans on April 2-4, 2009. In an EPOXI session, participants will engage in hands-on learning activities developed by NASA's Dawn and EPOXI Mission E/PO programs. Learn about science and language arts activities appropriate for after school programs: Modeling Comets and Asteroids will be on April 2 from 10:30- noon. Edible Rocks and Find a Meteorite will be from 4:00-5:30 on April 3, and Asters Hoity Toity Belt children's story on April 4 from 11:00-12:30. All sessions are in the NASA room (room 355).
  EPOXI Education Materials
  NAA 2009 Convention
• Connecting with Comets Field Study
  Classroom teachers and afterschool educators, are you interested in testing Comet on a Stick? The EPOXI E/PO team offers a standards-driven, activity designed to meet the needs of all students, including disadvantaged and underserved. To learn more and sign up for the spring field study, contact Dr. Stephanie B. Wilkerson EPOXI E/PO Principal Evaluator, Magnolia Consulting, LLC; 434.984.5540; stephanie@magnoliaconsulting.org
  Study Announcement

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BIOGRAPHIES

So who works on EPOXI? Well, many are from Deep Impact and are preparing for the flyby of Comet Hartley 2 in November, 2010. We decided that it's time to feature some of the EPOCh scientists as they are working hard analyzing their data and some of the many engineers and other support personnel who help make the mission successful.
All biographies

• Meet Richard Barry
  He started out "throwing 100 lb bags of salt from a wooden slat conveyor to a pallet - one every ten seconds or so" before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force as an F-16 technician. Later, he worked as a Space Shuttle engineer and earned three graduate degrees. And now, Richard is a Science Collaborator analyzing EPOCh data.
  Rich's Up Close & Personal
• Meet Amanda Briden
  Amanda Briden is a Mission Planner at JPL working in the Systems Engineering Division. On EPOXI, she assists the Mission Design Lead with planning Deep Space Network (DSN) passes and ensuring that all of the science and engineering data is sent back to Earth both before and after the Hartley 2 encounter.
  Amanda's Up Close & Personal
• Meet other EPOXI team members, Sat 25 April 2009
  Several EPOXI scientists will be on hand at the University of Maryland's annual Maryland Day to talk about the mission. They, along with several other UMD-GSFC collaborations, will be in a large tent in front of the Math Building on Sat 25 April 2009, 10am-4pm.
  Maryland Day

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SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

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EPOXI E-News features information about the mission, its outreach web site, and products, services, and materials available from the EPOXI Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) team. The EPOXI mission combines two exciting science investigations in an entirely new mission that re-uses the Deep Impact spacecraft. The Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization (EPOCh) investigation will observe stars that have known transiting giant planets. The Deep Impact Extended Investigation (DIXI) of comets observes comet 103P/Hartley 2 during a close flyby in October 2010. The EPOXI mission is a partnership among the University of Maryland (UMD), the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp (BATC), and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). EPOXI is a NASA Discovery mission of opportunity. See our website at epoxi.astro.umd.edu.