IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Michael Meyer, about Phoenix and MSL
Cugel
post Sep 25 2006, 10:01 AM
Post #1


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 153
Joined: 11-December 04
Member No.: 120



http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Managing_...ssions_999.html

Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program, spoke at the recent Viking anniversary celebration. One remarkable quote:

"Considering how long the Spirit and Opportunity rovers have lasted beyond their design lifetimes, it almost boggles the mind to think how long MSL could last. It may be there to greet the astronauts when they arrive on Mars."

That's what I call optimism.
I always thought that the lifespan of an RTG was pretty predictable and that in case of MSL it lasted for about 2 earth years. Maybe he's talking about the solar array powered version?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
 
Start new topic
Replies
mchan
post Jun 23 2007, 08:16 AM
Post #2


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 600
Joined: 26-August 05
Member No.: 476



QUOTE (Jim from NSF.com @ Jun 22 2007, 04:31 AM) *
Government connections? NASA is the government and that why RTG procurement is hard. The "people" want a rigorous (maybe overly) process to make sure the environment and people are not endangered.

As for "top priority", there are other goverment users

Interesting last comment. There were press stories that mentioned the use of RTG's by remote information collection equipment emplaced on the ocean floor and in the Himalayas. But that was during the Cold War.

QUOTE (edstrick @ Jun 22 2007, 09:47 PM) *
I was VASTLY relieved that there has been a declining trend of anti-nuke hobbyists entertaining themselves at the Cape from Galileo to Cassini to New Horizons... may that trend continue!

One can count on the hardcore anti-nuke folks to be at the MSL launch.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
lyford
post Jun 23 2007, 04:51 PM
Post #3


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1281
Joined: 18-December 04
From: San Diego, CA
Member No.: 124



QUOTE (mchan @ Jun 23 2007, 01:16 AM) *
One can count on the hardcore anti-nuke folks to be at the MSL launch.

So they will then be standing in the "radioactive fallout zone" if there is a launch vehicle failure? biggrin.gif

Seriously, if one is going to spend one's time protesting nuclear material on top of a rocket, one would probably want to spend some time worrying about these ones, instead of a wee lil' RTG....

EDS - feel free to cull if too political for the board.


--------------------
Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Posts in this topic
- Cugel   Michael Meyer, about Phoenix and MSL   Sep 25 2006, 10:01 AM
- - djellison   Or the sort of failures we're seing on MER - a...   Sep 25 2006, 10:02 AM
- - climber   Do we know for sure whether MSL will be solar or R...   Sep 25 2006, 11:07 AM
- - Cugel   Apparently not. According to Meyer the project is ...   Sep 25 2006, 02:12 PM
- - Jim from NSF.com   MSL has its PDR in June. MSL DEIS briefings are t...   Sep 25 2006, 04:47 PM
|- - climber   QUOTE (Jim from NSF.com @ Sep 25 2006, 06...   Sep 25 2006, 05:38 PM
|- - AlexBlackwell   QUOTE (climber @ Sep 25 2006, 07:38 AM) T...   Sep 25 2006, 05:43 PM
- - Analyst   QUOTE (Cugel @ Sep 25 2006, 10:01 AM) I a...   Sep 25 2006, 06:55 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (Analyst @ Sep 25 2006, 07:55 PM) ....   Sep 25 2006, 08:25 PM
|- - Stephen   QUOTE (helvick @ Sep 25 2006, 08:25 PM) T...   Sep 26 2006, 01:31 AM
|- - Jeff7   QUOTE (helvick @ Sep 25 2006, 04:25 PM) T...   Sep 26 2006, 11:39 AM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (Jeff7 @ Sep 26 2006, 12:39 PM) The...   Sep 26 2006, 04:23 PM
- - lyford   Maybe they are planning to use the ChemCam to zap ...   Sep 26 2006, 04:06 AM
- - edstrick   I do not know the possible engineering constraints...   Sep 26 2006, 09:40 AM
- - Spacecadet   MSL is an RTG powered rover. Keep in mind there a...   Dec 23 2006, 07:30 AM
- - djellison   MSL will still have a battery, as all other RTG po...   Dec 23 2006, 09:43 AM
|- - Jim from NSF.com   QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 23 2006, 04:43 AM)...   Dec 23 2006, 01:51 PM
|- - punkboi   QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 23 2006, 02:43 AM)...   Jun 23 2007, 07:15 PM
- - Analyst   QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 23 2006, 10:43 AM)...   Dec 23 2006, 02:54 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (Analyst @ Dec 23 2006, 02:54 PM) I...   Dec 23 2006, 05:10 PM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (Analyst @ Dec 23 2006, 02:54 PM) V...   Dec 23 2006, 05:23 PM
- - Analyst   QUOTE (helvick @ Dec 23 2006, 06:10 PM) T...   Dec 24 2006, 09:32 AM
- - djellison   I thought they did....MSL certainly will, and I kn...   Dec 24 2006, 10:52 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   Strangely, Sojourner's battery was a primary -...   Dec 24 2006, 11:06 PM
- - DFinfrock   Off topic... But when we get around to sending a ...   Dec 27 2006, 12:57 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   QUOTE (DFinfrock @ Dec 27 2006, 12:57 AM)...   Dec 27 2006, 08:52 AM
- - Geographer   Of all the things to protest in the world, tiny nu...   Jun 21 2007, 10:00 AM
|- - Jim from NSF.com   QUOTE (Geographer @ Jun 21 2007, 06:00 AM...   Jun 22 2007, 11:31 AM
- - edstrick   There's also the one minor detail.. Nukes are ...   Jun 23 2007, 04:47 AM
- - mchan   QUOTE (Jim from NSF.com @ Jun 22 2007, 04...   Jun 23 2007, 08:16 AM
|- - lyford   QUOTE (mchan @ Jun 23 2007, 01:16 AM) One...   Jun 23 2007, 04:51 PM
- - nprev   Well, the good thing, as Ed observed, is that UMSF...   Jun 23 2007, 08:12 PM
|- - David   QUOTE (nprev @ Jun 23 2007, 08:12 PM) The...   Jun 24 2007, 12:47 AM
|- - dvandorn   QUOTE (nprev @ Jun 23 2007, 03:12 PM) Wel...   Jun 24 2007, 08:16 PM
- - mchan   Something I had always wondered about regarding us...   Jun 25 2007, 05:35 AM


Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 31st October 2024 - 10:45 PM
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting.

IMAGE COPYRIGHT
Images posted on UnmannedSpaceflight.com may be copyrighted. Do not reproduce without permission. Read here for further information on space images and 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.