MSL's Power Source |
MSL's Power Source |
Guest_exobioquest_* |
Nov 27 2005, 04:46 PM
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#1
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Guests |
Hi, new here.
I'm wondering if any news has come down about finalizing what MSL will run on? Will it be 2 Boeing's MMRTG (at ~100 watts?) or Lockheed Martin’s SRG (again ~100watts?), have they decided yet? Willl MSL use the RPS to trickle charge a battery or will MSL run on the RPS only? God I hope solar is not a option is anyone pushing for it? |
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Nov 27 2005, 09:14 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 270 Joined: 29-December 04 From: NLA0: Member No.: 133 |
I'm quite sure MSL would survive after the batteries die. The main reason for adding batteries to a RTG powered probe is that RTGs supply the same amount of power 24/7. You don't design the RTG to give the peak power you need on the probe but you design it to deliver the average power you need. If you need peak power you run the probe from both the RTG and the batteries. If you're using less power than the RTG produces you recharge the batteries. Having dead batteries would limit the ammount of things you can do at once with the probe, but I don't think it would kill it.
-------------------- PDP, VAX and Alpha fanatic ; HP-Compaq is the Satan! ; Let us pray daily while facing Maynard! ; Life starts at 150 km/h ;
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Guest_exobioquest_* |
Nov 27 2005, 09:30 PM
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#3
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Guests |
Ya, but I don't think 100watts is enough to do much; MER supposedly needs 100 watts just to move around. Maybe if the RPS was at 200watts you could get most things done without the batteries, as is the laser chemcam thing is going to needs some big capacitors if its going to have enough power to burn through the layer of dust on rocks.
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