Dawn approaches Ceres, From opnav images to first orbit |
Dawn approaches Ceres, From opnav images to first orbit |
Jan 12 2015, 12:10 AM
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#1
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10182 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
On Tuesday (two days from now, for visitors from the future), the first optical navigation image will be taken... hopefully we'll have it in our hands soon after that. So it's time for a new topic. Over the next few months we'll have progressively closer images and full orbit characterization sequences, no doubt including multispectral image sets.
A new world... This is a bit of reprocessing I have been doing with the Hubble images from a few years ago. Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Jan 23 2015, 02:29 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 207 Joined: 6-March 07 From: houston, texas Member No.: 1828 |
thats right. no soft landing. no way to slow down. i don't recall how long the end-of-mission orbit will last (i think 50 years but don't quote me), but we wont be going to really low altitude. the orbits become less stable, and fuel use becomes excessive, are among the reasons.
-------------------- Dr. Paul Schenk, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston TX
http://stereomoons.blogspot.com; http://www.youtube.com/galsat400; http://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/schenk/ |
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Jan 23 2015, 02:45 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 656 Joined: 20-April 05 From: League City, Texas Member No.: 285 |
Wasn't there discussion of Dawn possibly going on to visit one or more other targets following mission completion at Ceres? Is the plan to remain in Ceres orbit fully committed now?
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Jan 23 2015, 04:01 PM
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#4
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 27 Joined: 27-September 07 Member No.: 3919 |
Wasn't there discussion of Dawn possibly going on to visit one or more other targets following mission completion at Ceres? Is the plan to remain in Ceres orbit fully committed now? Pallas was considered as a potential target initially, but I don't know how seriously. Anyway, the delays in launch and also problems with ion thrusters after Vesta departure propably rendered that option impossible to achieve? It would have been a flyby anyway, and made possible only by orbital mechanics of certain date when Pallas and Ceres were close to each other during their orbits (Pallas has different inclination). Correct me if I'm wrong. But yes, would have been a huge bonus for this mission, especially since Pallas is the third (or second) big one out there. I'm more than overjoyed by the fact that Dawn got even this far. Ceres is a place to see, definitely. |
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