Parker Solar Probe, Take the Solar Plunge |
Parker Solar Probe, Take the Solar Plunge |
Dec 25 2005, 12:33 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2454 Joined: 8-July 05 From: NGC 5907 Member No.: 430 |
Any serious plans to send a probe into the Sun to explore its depths as far as possible?
What would help a probe last as long as it could and how deep could it get? Could it even radio or laser out any data? What about a Sun skimmer? -------------------- "After having some business dealings with men, I am occasionally chagrined,
and feel as if I had done some wrong, and it is hard to forget the ugly circumstance. I see that such intercourse long continued would make one thoroughly prosaic, hard, and coarse. But the longest intercourse with Nature, though in her rudest moods, does not thus harden and make coarse. A hard, sensible man whom we liken to a rock is indeed much harder than a rock. From hard, coarse, insensible men with whom I have no sympathy, I go to commune with the rocks, whose hearts are comparatively soft." - Henry David Thoreau, November 15, 1853 |
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Jun 1 2017, 09:15 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 656 Joined: 20-April 05 From: League City, Texas Member No.: 285 |
Looking over the details of this mission, and contemplating the current mission finale for Cassini, I'm left wondering about the mission finale for the Parker Solar Probe. Perhaps a final orbit aimed at skimming the solar surface, and transmitting data until the vehicle dies? In the interim, perhaps crank-up the inclination during mission extension so that we get some polar views of the sun like we're getting from Jupiter by the Juno probe?
Yes, I know, it is still way to early to worry about this sort of thing Oh, and why no ion propulsion? I would have thought this would be the ideal mission for that, in terms of solar power. But it seems to do okay with Venus slingshots. |
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