PFS issue on Venus Express, PFS scanner stuck in its closed position |
PFS issue on Venus Express, PFS scanner stuck in its closed position |
Mar 21 2006, 09:03 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 370 Joined: 12-September 05 From: France Member No.: 495 |
Bad news for PFS. I hope they will be able to solve this issue.
The PFS scanner is stuck in its closed position. Several attempts to move it were made at the time, but the instrument did not respond. Experts suspected a thermal problem by which low temperatures were blocking the rotation of the mechanism. Another attempt to move the scanner was made on 16 March 2006, in warmer flight conditions. Unfortunately, the scanner remains stuck. The next opportunity to perform another test on the spacecraft will be end of April, after the Venus Orbit Insertion. From http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/in...fobjectid=38964 |
|
|
Mar 23 2006, 04:49 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Director of Galilean Photography Group: Members Posts: 896 Joined: 15-July 04 From: Austin, TX Member No.: 93 |
I've wondered if missions shouldn't start adding "engineering webcams", similar to the Hazcams on MER that are there to monitor deployments and moving parts on sciencecraft. It might not have helped Galileo, but then again knowing the exact configuration of the antenna might have allowed for some kind of partial recovery by simulating the antenna coverage pattern.
-------------------- Space Enthusiast Richard Hendricks
-- "The engineers, as usual, made a tremendous fuss. Again as usual, they did the job in half the time they had dismissed as being absolutely impossible." --Rescue Party, Arthur C Clarke Mother Nature is the final inspector of all quality. |
|
|
Mar 23 2006, 05:23 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2454 Joined: 8-July 05 From: NGC 5907 Member No.: 430 |
I've wondered if missions shouldn't start adding "engineering webcams", similar to the Hazcams on MER that are there to monitor deployments and moving parts on sciencecraft. It might not have helped Galileo, but then again knowing the exact configuration of the antenna might have allowed for some kind of partial recovery by simulating the antenna coverage pattern. In this era of miniaturization, would it be feasible to send along a little repair robot or two to fix stuck wires, antenna, solar panels, etc.? Or is that still just too expensive and science fictiony? But some real robot repair tests have been made: http://www.nasda.go.jp/press/1999/03/ets7_990319_e.html And then there is this idea: http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/archive/fulltext/raptor.pdf And this little guy: http://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/droid.asp Other relevant items: http://arxiv.org/pdf/cs.RO/0601056 http://ranier.hq.nasa.gov/telerobotics_page/photos.html Keeping on the theme of miniaturization, I think we should send out groups of small probes to a target world, each with one or two specific science tasks. If we lose a few, it is unfortunate, but does not stop the overall mission. Multiple probes can cover more ground, literally, and we won't have all our eggs in one basket. -------------------- "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 |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th September 2024 - 11:50 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |