New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
Mar 13 2005, 06:57 PM
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#76
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Member Group: Members Posts: 133 Joined: 29-January 05 Member No.: 161 |
Thanks for the fast reply, too fast for this edit
Also there is no capability for the "search for magnetic fields" in the science tracability matrix of the Payload Overview (14MB) yet there is a solar wind particle detector, won't this instrument be able to indirectly detect the plasma sheet of Pluto's field if it exists? -------------------- |
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Mar 13 2005, 07:09 PM
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#77
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Member Group: Members Posts: 532 Joined: 19-February 05 Member No.: 173 |
Yes, very perceptive. Back in 2001, we carefully considerd but rejected flying a MAG on NH because it greatly complicates the s/c (booms, magnetic cleanliness, etc.).
However, SWAP (our solar wind particle detector) can potentially infer a mag field at Pluto-Charon based on the particle flux trace through the system and the kinds of solar wind disturbances/magnetospheric boundaries the instrument discovers. |
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Mar 18 2005, 09:39 AM
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#78
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Member Group: Members Posts: 532 Joined: 19-February 05 Member No.: 173 |
There are several new NH downloads including an EPO poster at
www.boulder.swri.edu/pkb for those interested. |
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Mar 20 2005, 01:57 AM
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#79
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-February 05 From: New Jersey Member No.: 177 |
QUOTE (Alan Stern @ Mar 18 2005, 09:39 AM) There are several new NH downloads including an EPO poster at www.boulder.swri.edu/pkb for those interested. Thanks, Alan. -------------------- ----------------------------------------------
"Too low they build, who build beneath the stars." - Edward Young |
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Mar 20 2005, 06:28 PM
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#80
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
QUOTE (Alan Stern @ Mar 18 2005, 01:39 AM) There are several new NH downloads including an EPO poster at www.boulder.swri.edu/pkb for those interested. Time to buy more printer cartridges! Thanks, Alan. -------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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Mar 22 2005, 06:46 PM
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#81
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Member Group: Members Posts: 147 Joined: 3-July 04 From: Chicago, IL Member No.: 91 |
Public Hearings Set for Pluto Mission
QUOTE "The spacecraft and instruments are undergoing a very rigorous test program over the next few months," said New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "This begins with systems testing, and then proceeds to shake tests and space environment thermal vacuum testing," he told SPACE.com. QUOTE After reviews are completed under the National Environmental Policy Act, if NASA decides to proceed with the mission, the spacecraft would await presidential approval to launch next January. Good luck, Alan. |
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Mar 23 2005, 04:12 PM
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#82
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Member Group: Members Posts: 532 Joined: 19-February 05 Member No.: 173 |
Thanks for the best wishes, enjoy the download candy.
Onward to 2006! -Alan |
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Mar 23 2005, 04:28 PM
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#83
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Ahh - good 'ol Shake and Bake.
I saw the flight structure for a comm sat undergo a launch simulation shake about 7 years ago. Astonishing noise - the sort of noise that you can feel in oyur stomach. How such precise delicate machines can be designed to withstand extremes of acceleration, heat and pressue is one of the miracles of modern science. Doug |
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Mar 24 2005, 10:02 PM
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#84
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Member Group: Members Posts: 147 Joined: 3-July 04 From: Chicago, IL Member No.: 91 |
Press Briefing To Be Held March 29 for Pluto New Horizons Environmental Impact Statement
QUOTE A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for NASA's planned New Horizons mission to Pluto has been released for a 45-day public comment period that ends April 11. A press briefing will be held at 10 a.m. EST on March 29 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) News Center to acquaint the media with the mission to Pluto and its moon, Charon, and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement associated with the launch.
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Mar 26 2005, 11:08 PM
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#85
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-February 05 From: New Jersey Member No.: 177 |
QUOTE (imran @ Mar 24 2005, 10:02 PM) Press Briefing To Be Held March 29 for Pluto New Horizons Environmental Impact Statement QUOTE A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for NASA's planned New Horizons mission to Pluto has been released for a 45-day public comment period that ends April 11. A press briefing will be held at 10 a.m. EST on March 29 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) News Center to acquaint the media with the mission to Pluto and its moon, Charon, and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement associated with the launch. These things always baffle me. Is it as if the launch will destroy the environment or something like that? -------------------- ----------------------------------------------
"Too low they build, who build beneath the stars." - Edward Young |
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Mar 26 2005, 11:29 PM
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#86
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
QUOTE (MiniTES @ Mar 26 2005, 05:08 PM) These things always baffle me. Is it as if the launch will destroy the environment or something like that? Not if the launch goes as planned, no. But any time you launch a spacecraft with plutonium on board, a launch failure has the potential (however remote) of introducing said plutonium to the environment. The E.I.S. is just a safeguard to make sure NASA has taken reasonable precautions against any negative environmental impact from plutonium handling before, during and after the launch. I'm not one of the anti-nuke whackos, believe me -- I believe NASA does, indeed, take all reasonable precautions. But I also think it's a good idea to hold *anyone* using or handling such dangerously toxic materials as plutonium to a very high safety standard. -the other Doug -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
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Mar 26 2005, 11:42 PM
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#87
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
I wonder what would happen if the public knew of all the military payloads that carry such things that never make the news in any way what soever
Doug |
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Mar 26 2005, 11:57 PM
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#88
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 26 2005, 05:42 PM) I wonder what would happen if the public knew of all the military payloads that carry such things that never make the news in any way what soever Doug Honestly, I think a majority of Americans wouldn't care all that much. It's only a relatively small lunatic fringe here that is swayed by the anti-nuke Chicken Littles. I may be a little overly optimistic, here, but I think a large majority of the general public understands that the risks of disaster are relatively tiny. -the other Doug -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
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Guest_BruceMoomaw_* |
Mar 27 2005, 12:22 AM
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#89
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Guests |
Personally -- and speaking as someone who (to my continuing amazement) apparently did play a major role in getting NASA to reverse its original rejection of this probe, through my series of SpaceDaily articles (details on request) -- I remain very uneasy about launching something as toxic as Pu-238 unless it's absolutely necessary, and I would hope they can hold it to an absolute minimum in future missions. For instance, not a single one of the four proposed highest-priority New Frontiers concepts after New Horizons -- including the Jupiter polar orbiter -- requires it. I'm not wildly happy about their putting it on MSL; I think there might very well be ways to make a solar power system work effectively(including dust-cleaning mechanisms and concentrator mirrors).
Actually, I'm a lot less uneasy about orbiting nuclear reactors, since those use U-235 -- which is normally extremely non-radioactive -- as their fuel, and so don't start producing dangerous radioisotopes until they've actually been turned on and allowed to run a while. Put them into a high Earth orbit before you do that and they are no danger whatsoever. |
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Mar 29 2005, 07:29 PM
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#90
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 25-February 05 From: New Jersey Member No.: 177 |
QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Mar 27 2005, 12:22 AM) Personally -- and speaking as someone who (to my continuing amazement) apparently did play a major role in getting NASA to reverse its original rejection of this probe, through my series of SpaceDaily articles (details on request) -- I remain very uneasy about launching something as toxic as Pu-238 unless it's absolutely necessary, and I would hope they can hold it to an absolute minimum in future missions. For instance, not a single one of the four proposed highest-priority New Frontiers concepts after New Horizons -- including the Jupiter polar orbiter -- requires it. I'm not wildly happy about their putting it on MSL; I think there might very well be ways to make a solar power system work effectively(including dust-cleaning mechanisms and concentrator mirrors). Actually, I'm a lot less uneasy about orbiting nuclear reactors, since those use U-235 -- which is normally extremely non-radioactive -- as their fuel, and so don't start producing dangerous radioisotopes until they've actually been turned on and allowed to run a while. Put them into a high Earth orbit before you do that and they are no danger whatsoever. Can you say "RORSAT"? -------------------- ----------------------------------------------
"Too low they build, who build beneath the stars." - Edward Young |
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