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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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 20 2005, 11:03 AM
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 1 Joined: 18-June 05 Member No.: 414 |
I couldn't help noticing in a recent magazine article that 2003 UB313 is 'kind of in the same direction' (stop me if I'm getting too technical) as Pluto. I know the orbital inclinations are very different, but is 2003 UB313 completely out of the question as a target for New Horizons? Judging by its distance it might take another fifteen or twenty years to reach after the Pluto encounter, so I'd imagine there might be problem with RTG power after that length of time.
Anthony |
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Sep 20 2005, 12:28 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 290 Joined: 26-March 04 From: Edam, The Netherlands Member No.: 65 |
QUOTE (anthony @ Sep 20 2005, 11:03 AM) I couldn't help noticing in a recent magazine article that 2003 UB313 is 'kind of in the same direction' (stop me if I'm getting too technical) as Pluto. I know the orbital inclinations are very different, but is 2003 UB313 completely out of the question as a target for New Horizons? Judging by its distance it might take another fifteen or twenty years to reach after the Pluto encounter, so I'd imagine there might be problem with RTG power after that length of time. Anthony RTG is not the problem. Voyager still goes strong after decades. The question is; will there be any KBO within the reachable "cone" NH can be directed towards after the Pluto encounter. I guess the geometry of the flyby (and the change in direction of the spacecraft due to the flyby) is of great influence on how much flexibility there is in the path afterwards. My feeling (i'm not a rocket scientist) says, that a target KBO has to be chosen by 2014, then the way Pluto is encountered has to be chosen such, that it flies more or less towards the KBO afterwards without intervention of the left over delta V capability. The latter being used only for two or three short burns to fine-tune it towards the KBO. It would be great if it would be 2003 UB313, i have no clue however whether it's in the same direction as Pluto is. Anyone else knows if it will be in more or less the same direction as Pluto by that time ? |
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Sep 20 2005, 01:00 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 362 Joined: 12-June 05 From: Kiama, Australia Member No.: 409 |
QUOTE (Marcel @ Sep 20 2005, 11:28 PM) less towards the KBO afterwards without intervention of the left over delta V capability. The latter being used only for two or three short burns to fine-tune it towards the KBO. It would be great if it would be 2003 UB313, i have no clue however whether it's in the same direction as Pluto is. Anyone else knows if it will be in more or less the same direction as Pluto by that time ? My recollection is that the delta V capability is in the order of about 100-150 m/s in addition to any change in direction induced by the encounter. That equates to a very small cone of accessabilty at 17.8? km/s, so tanQ=.15/17.8. It would have to be more rather than less in line with Pluto. It would be a coincidence of very low probability Quote from http://www.roe.ac.uk/~jkd/kbo_proc/antospencerfigs.doc Conclusions Finding one or more KBO targets for the New Horizons mission is a large but tractable endeavor. We will need to search down to magnitude 27 to be sure of finding at least one target if we are unlucky in the amount of maneuvering fuel available on the spacecraft for KBO targeting, though with plausible fuel budgets, surveys magnitude to 26 may be sufficient. The amount of telescope time required for the survey depends on the severity of the effects of confusion by Milky Way background stars, but it is likely that a comprehensive survey early in the next decade can be done in reasonable time using large-format detectors on 8-meter class telescopes. New Horizons team plans its own searches for mission KBOs but will welcome other U.S. or international teams who wish to become involved in exchange for mission participation at the KBO. |
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Sep 20 2005, 01:24 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 290 Joined: 26-March 04 From: Edam, The Netherlands Member No.: 65 |
QUOTE (abalone @ Sep 20 2005, 01:00 PM) That equates to a very small cone of accessabilty at 17.8? km/s, so tanQ=.15/17.8. It would have to be more rather than less in line with Pluto. It would be a coincidence of very low probability That means it can redirect ONE degree after the Pluto flyby on it's own propulsion. That's not much. I guess the assist from Pluto has to do the thing. |
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