LRO development |
LRO development |
Mar 27 2008, 09:53 PM
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#136
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Member Group: Members Posts: 169 Joined: 17-March 06 Member No.: 709 |
I want to commend the LRO team for keeping us up-to-date on the assembly of the LRO.
Check out the website at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov for a very extensive photo record as LRO is being built up. I do want to predict,, however, that LRO's launch date will probably slip to March 2009 from its current scheduled lift-off in October 2008. I base this on where LRO is in its ATLO sequence. It has not yet been completely assembled and it has several milestones to cross before launch, including shake tests, thermal-vac, software tests, transport to the Cape, fueling, more testing, then transport to the pad. You will note on Kepler's website that it is near completion of assembly, with a scheduled launch in February 2009. Another Phil |
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Mar 27 2008, 10:33 PM
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#137
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14433 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Kepler is a very different sort of vehicle. I would be more inclined to compare the LRO ATLO schedule with something like MRO or a member of the EOS system.
Doug |
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Mar 27 2008, 10:45 PM
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#138
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2530 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 321 |
In the spirit of things expanding to consume the resources available for them, we can note that lunar missions have no launch window, so an incremental slip is just an incremental slip, unlike the terrible delays that Messenger ended up with. That takes a lot of pressure off... bringing with it both good consequences and potentially bad.
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May 14 2008, 06:19 AM
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#139
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Member Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 18-November 07 Member No.: 3964 |
LRO launch delayed to NET Nov. 24
(source: http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/launch.html) available launch windows are presented here: http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av020/080421windows.html |
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May 15 2008, 12:09 PM
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#140
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
In case you've access to AW&ST Frank Morring JR blog, here is the link : http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/space...mentId=blogDest
It's said that there are thinking to change the targeted crater (Shakleton) as follow : "Dan Andrews, NASA's LCROSS project manager at Ames Research Center, said today that the mission science team has decided to target an older crater to get the best possible data. While Shackleton is almost exactly on the lunar south pole, craters slightly to the north also have permanently dark floors and are within rage of LCROSS. Prime candidates are Shoemaker Crater and Faustini Crater, just to the east of Shoemaker." BTW (and OT), I bought Shackleton's book (l'Odyssée de l'Endurance) last week and I target to read it anyway -------------------- |
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May 15 2008, 09:23 PM
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#141
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
Emily has reported this information on her blog with more details
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May 16 2008, 12:14 AM
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#142
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10182 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
This is oldish news to people who have been following the mission in detail. A site selection update was given at the LCROSS Astronomer Workshop held at NASA Ames Research Center on 29 February 2008, by Tony Colaprete. Shackleton wasn't on the list - they don't know its interior properties well enough yet. The target crater varies week by week depending on the libration and illumination conditions. Colaprete gave a table of targets for different launch dates up to Christmas. If the launch is delayed beyond that, as seems possible, a new list will emerge.
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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Jun 3 2008, 10:44 AM
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#143
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
Twitter's on for LRO : http://twitter.com/LRO_NASA
As is lcross web site : http://lcross_nasa/ (hopefully soon, I've got an error message today) -------------------- |
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Jun 19 2008, 07:47 PM
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#144
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1465 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Columbus OH USA Member No.: 13 |
I was reading up on this mission and have a few questions:
1) Some of the instruments, e.g., LAMP (or LAVA LAMP, haha) will be used to identify any water ice in the "permanently shadowed" parts of polar craters. But with the Earth at least, the pole is said to have migrated quite a bit. Is the Moon conversely so locked in synchrony that its own pole can't wander appreciably? Seems like even if transient, it might not take too long to burn off any ice. 2) I was wondering what the first "earthrise" opportunity might be for LRO postcard purposes. According to the available SPICE kernels the initial orbit comes in around longitude 90 over the south pole and so from the point of view of earth circles without eclipse initially until it eventually precesses around or whatever. 3) The launch has been delayed by a month. Is there any possibility this mission might be cancelled? I.e., has NASA (read: US Congress) ever cancelled a mission where the spacecraft had essentially been built? -------------------- |
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Jun 19 2008, 07:52 PM
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#145
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10182 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
briefly:
1 - yes 2 - don't know 3 - no 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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Jun 19 2008, 08:49 PM
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#146
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Member Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 18-November 07 Member No.: 3964 |
3 pt. 2 - they did cancel Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, but there's no reason to do the same with LRO.
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Jun 19 2008, 09:13 PM
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#147
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2517 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 497 |
has NASA (read: US Congress) ever cancelled a mission where the spacecraft had essentially been built? Yes. Triana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triana_%28satellite%29 -------------------- Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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Jun 20 2008, 12:29 AM
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#148
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1465 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Columbus OH USA Member No.: 13 |
After the recent postponement, the LRO website says "LRO will launch no earlier than November 24, 2008." Kind of an odd way to put it, no? Interesting about Triana, another "backyard" kind of mission. LRO could have the problem of a tie-in to the manned program, and catch flak from opponents of same--maybe pushed into a new Administration? -------------------- |
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Jun 20 2008, 12:40 AM
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#149
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Member Group: Members Posts: 191 Joined: 20-November 06 From: Saint Louis Member No.: 1376 |
The shuttle program uses that phraseology. "NET" = "no earlier than." So take that for what it's worth, but I don't think there's anything worrisome about it.
-------------------- - Matt
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Jul 22 2008, 07:59 PM
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#150
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Member Group: Members Posts: 169 Joined: 17-March 06 Member No.: 709 |
I do want to predict,, however, that LRO's launch date will probably slip to March 2009 from its current scheduled lift-off in October 2008. I base this on where LRO is in its ATLO sequence. It has not yet been completely assembled and it has several milestones to cross before launch, including shake tests, thermal-vac, software tests, transport to the Cape, fueling, more testing, then transport to the pad. You will note on Kepler's website that it is near completion of assembly, with a scheduled launch in February 2009. Another Phil For those who were not convinced of my reasoning, check this link that suggests that the LRO's launch will slip to February 2009. http://www.livescience.com/blogs/author/leonarddavid/ Pretty close to my earlier analysis and prediction. |
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