New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
Feb 8 2005, 02:09 PM
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#201
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Member Group: Members Posts: 133 Joined: 29-January 05 Member No.: 161 |
Yes it's happening after all these years, the mission to the last planet!
And maybe to celebrate the confirmation of budget, NASA approval preparations and the fueling of the RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator), there is an updated web site at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ Launch will be January 2006 with arrival at the Pluto Charon system July 2015 (mark your calender!) and then on through the Kuiper belt during 2016-2020 and beyond. 20.8-centimeter telescope for 100m resolution at closest approach IR/UV spectrometers 2 x 8GB data recorders data rate: 768 bps (sic) to 70m DSN 465kg including fuel $650m 336 days to launch -------------------- |
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Sep 3 2005, 07:53 PM
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#202
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Rover Driver Group: Members Posts: 1015 Joined: 4-March 04 Member No.: 47 |
QUOTE Now, we have ion electric engine but it is not enough to break for a high speed of above than many kilometers/sec Electric propulsion systems are exclusively low-thrust systems, meaning that you can never give an instant delta-V like with chemical propulsion systems. If you want to orbit another body using low-thrust systems, you need to start breaking very early, or just arrive very gradually. See for instance the SMART-1 mission. It was captured by the moon after continuously increasing the size of the earth orbit. The advantage of electric propulsion lies with its fuel-efficiency, i.e. you need far less fuel and can therefore reach much higher accelarations with the same fuel mass. But I think we are drifting off-topic here. maybe good for another thread? |
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 9th June 2024 - 03:55 AM |
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