To catch a comet: Technical overview of CAN DO G-324

The primary photographing of aboard STS 61-E. INTRODUCTION objective of the C.E. Williams Middle School Get Away Special "CAN DO" is the Comet Halley. As it is currently scheduled, G-324 will fly in March of 1986 The project will involve middle school students, grades 6 through 8, in the study and interpretation of astronomical photographs and techniques. -The-objectives of these studies are detailed in another paper to be presented at this symposium.

6-324 is contained in a 5 cubic foot G.A.S. Canister with an opening door and pyrex window for photography. It will be pressurized with one atmosphere of dry nitrogen. Three 35mm still cameras with 250 exposure film backs and different focal length lenses will be fired by a combination of automatic timer and an active comet detector. A lightweight 35mm movie camera will shoot single exposures at about 4 minute intervals to give an overlapping "skymap" of the mission. The fifth camera is a solid state television camera specially constructed for detection of the comet by the microprocessor. In addition to the photographic goals of CAN DO, the canister also contains a separate package of middle school student designed passive experiments. These-projects will be described in detail in the accompanying paper on educational goals.