Mercury Orbit Insertion, Events and Discussion leading up to MOI |
Mercury Orbit Insertion, Events and Discussion leading up to MOI |
Mar 18 2010, 05:38 PM
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#16
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
A new post from the Messenger team, noting that we are exactly one year away from MOI!
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/news_room/details.php?id=144 --Greg |
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Mar 18 2010, 07:41 PM
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#17
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2106 Joined: 13-February 10 From: Ontario Member No.: 5221 |
And a new map of some of the newly named craters too:
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/scienc...mp;image_id=377 |
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Apr 6 2010, 05:39 PM
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#18
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Member Group: Members Posts: 146 Joined: 31-October 08 Member No.: 4473 |
Over the next few months, Mercury will appear to go back-and-forth relative to the sun as seen from Messenger, as the planet and probe travel their elliptical orbits, with Mercury slowly lapping Messenger. The back-and-forth-relative-to-the-sun motion marks the dynamics of passing through the halfway period of the "lapping", with Messenger doing 5 orbits to Mercury's 6, between the third flyby and orbit insertion. Just a chance for some Keplerian visualization cheap thrills...
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Apr 7 2010, 05:50 PM
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#19
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Member Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: 27-August 05 Member No.: 479 |
A quick read tells me the perihelion option would save propellant during the initial insertion, however the inclination wouldn't have been too favorable, and more flybys would have been needed, so they chose another option. By the way I like the term "periherm". burn less fuel = extended mission! |
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Apr 7 2010, 05:54 PM
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#20
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
I'd love it if someone could locate (or create) an animation or video of Messenger's orbit insertion process since launch so I could wrap my brain around it all. So far I haven't had any luck tracking one down on my own.
-------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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Apr 7 2010, 06:21 PM
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#21
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
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Jun 25 2010, 02:31 PM
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#22
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Member Group: Members Posts: 146 Joined: 31-October 08 Member No.: 4473 |
Mercury is about to pass behind the Sun in its pursuit of Messenger at the halfway point between the 3rd flyby and orbit insertion. Mercury is at periapsis and Messenger at apoapsis. Go Messenger!
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Jun 25 2010, 03:49 PM
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#23
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
If it is the planet pursuing the craft, shouldn't it be "Go Mercury" ?
-------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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Jun 27 2010, 01:29 AM
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#24
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Member Group: Members Posts: 146 Joined: 31-October 08 Member No.: 4473 |
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Aug 4 2010, 03:47 PM
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#25
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of Messenger's launch, but the Messenger web site didn't comment on it. I suppose they're far more interested in getting ready for their big day in March.
On the trivia front, I'm figuring Messenger will be two orbits away from MOI on August 10 (next week) and it'll be just one orbit away on November 23, which is roughly American Thanksgiving (Nov 25th this year to be exact.) Disclaimer: My method is apt to have a few days of error at this point, so don't use these figures to pilot your own spacecraft! --Greg |
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Aug 12 2010, 09:48 PM
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#26
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1592 Joined: 14-October 05 From: Vermont Member No.: 530 |
Still looking for Vulcanoids. From Twitter:
@MESSENGER2011: 4-part vulcanoid survey will be conducted from 8/14-17. Long-exposure images from MDIS in search of obj existing w/i the orbit of Mercury. |
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Nov 19 2010, 07:47 AM
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#27
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Member Group: Members Posts: 146 Joined: 31-October 08 Member No.: 4473 |
Messenger is pulling away from Mercury for the last time. As Messenger approaches perihelion, Mercury is just past aphelion, so it will pull father away for a little while. But soon after Messenger passes perihelion and begins its last solar orbit before insertion, Mercury will close the gap, and the following perihelion will be orbit insertion around Mercury.
Any results in the Vulcanoid search? Will there be another round of searching during this last independent perihelion? |
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Dec 7 2010, 10:47 AM
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#28
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Member Group: Members Posts: 568 Joined: 20-April 05 From: Silesia Member No.: 299 |
-------------------- Free software for planetary science (including Cassini Image Viewer).
http://members.tripod.com/petermasek/marinerall.html |
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Dec 19 2010, 09:37 AM
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#29
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Member Group: Members Posts: 568 Joined: 20-April 05 From: Silesia Member No.: 299 |
One Year until Mercury Orbit Insertion !
Relax, Mercurian year. -------------------- Free software for planetary science (including Cassini Image Viewer).
http://members.tripod.com/petermasek/marinerall.html |
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Dec 19 2010, 04:14 PM
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#30
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Member Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 30-January 05 Member No.: 162 |
It's just amazing they racked up over 4 billion(!) miles on the odometer so quickly. New Horizons seems screaming fast, but Messenger could blow it's doors off!
(Yeah, I know we are just seeing the effects of the sun's gravitational well, but still) Even more amazing when you consider all the flybys of Venus and Mercury were to slow the craft. I recall the Mercury and Gemini astronauts were trained in orbital mechanics by having them drive in circles of differing sizes at differing speeds to impress upon them how it all works. |
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