Onwards to Uranus and Neptune! |
Onwards to Uranus and Neptune! |
Jan 12 2008, 09:40 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Arabia Terra Member No.: 12 |
As soon as MESSENGER gets to Mercury, the most poorly explored planets in the solar system will be Uranus and Neptune. Could this lead to a revival of interest in the ice giants and their retinue, in the same way that the existence of New Horizons is perhaps partly due to the Pluto stamp*?
*via Pluto Fast Flyby and later Pluto Kuiper Express |
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Feb 29 2008, 04:28 PM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
I get it now; thanks very much for that clarification, Ralph!
Still sounds like Sun-diving with conventional propulsion systems isn't quite worth it. You'd have to expend a massive amount of fuel just to get into a close solar approach trajectory anyhow, then execute another major maneuver to take advantage of the C/A dynamic. I don't know; could doing a few pump-down gravity assists with the inner planets make this more feasible? Seems to me that if you can save the maximum amount of thrust for solar C/A you still might be able to make some money here. Not sure if conservation of angular momentum for the entire Solar System wouldn't turn around & bite you in the butt, though. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Nov 8 2008, 02:56 AM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 540 Joined: 25-October 05 From: California Member No.: 535 |
Emily posted an interesting blog on Planetary.org regarding a proposed flyby of Neptune that could be done by 2027 if it launched by 2020. Called Argo, it would be the fourth New Frontiers mission if approved it in the next selection process, which is to take place in 2013.
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001729/ The original proposal page: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/opag/march_08_meet...ions/hammel.pdf -------------------- 2011 JPL Tweetup photos: http://www.rich-parno.com/aa_jpltweetup.html
http://human-spaceflight.blogspot.com |
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