New Horizons Arrives At Ksc Options

[mcaplinger]

For seeing the launch in person, is the view better from Jetty Park or from along the Indian River due west of complex 41?

I don't know for sure, but I think the view from Jetty Park of LC41 would be pretty bad. LC41 is way north, very close to LC39. I would think any good site for a Shuttle launch would be better for LC41. It's not like a Delta launch, where the view from Jetty Park is probably as good as from the VIP site.

We watched the MRO launch from the causeway site and it was OK.

[BPCooper]

I don't know for sure, but I think the view from Jetty Park of LC41 would be pretty bad.  LC41 is way north, very close to LC39.  I would think any good site for a Shuttle launch would be better for LC41.  It's not like a Delta launch, where the view from Jetty Park is probably as good as from the VIP site.

We watched the MRO launch from the causeway site and it was OK.

No, not Jetty Park, you cannot see the pad from there.

Your best bet is Port Canaveral/cruise ship terminals, outside of CCAFS Gate 1. That is the closest spot at about 12 miles away.

Alternatively you could watch from Titusville along the river, but that is nearly 14 miles away. Unfortunately 41 is the furthest pad for watching a launch from if you are viewing outside the gates.

Playalinda Beach/MINWR had been open for every Atlas 5 launch through Inmarsat earlier this year...it's just 4.5 miles from the pad out there (almost as close as the press site is). But at MRO, NASA had it closed. So presumably, if it's a NASA payload NASA will order all of KSC property closed including Playalinda.

[ljk4-1]

Will anything of note other than a microchip full of names be placed on NH before it is launched?

It is sad that there are so few poets on this site.

Only the fifth probe ever being sent out of our solar system - 28 years after the Voyagers - and nothing more than a US flag and a microchip full of names on it to serve as any kind of "greeting" to either our distant descendants or starfaring ETI who may find it one day.

Anyone going to do something about this? The Voyager Records were "rush" jobs, but they made it. And they did it without the Web or even cell phones to facilitate things.

Why hasn't The Planetary Society said word one about doing something?

And speaking of lack of poets and poetry, what is with the lame names given to US space probes these days? New Horizons? Deep Impact? Mars Observer? My, how obvious and uninspired. Why don't we just name them Big Metal Shiny Things Sent Into Space on a Rocket. There are plenty of relevant explorers and astronomers who deserve some kind honor by having their names on our robot adventurers.

[djellison]

Anyone going to do something about this?

We disagree on the pros and cons of bolting messages onto spacecraft - but that's an opinion issue.

However it is outside the realm of opinion and simply a matter of what is or is not possible. It is TOO LATE to put something on NH.

Doug

[ljk4-1]

We disagree on the pros and cons of bolting messages onto spacecraft - but that's an opinion issue.

However it is outside the realm of opinion and simply a matter of what is or is not possible. It is TOO LATE to put something on NH.

Doug

I guess that's my question then - why didn't SOMEBODY think of doing it when there was time? Does anyone honestly think that a US flag or a bunch of microscopic names are going to mean anything to anyone way out there in space and time?

There should be some kind of committee/organization that has definite plans for important information to be placed on all missions beyond our Sol system. I will be glad to help with such a concept when and where needed.

What a waste of an opportunity.

[ugordan]

There are plenty of relevant explorers and astronomers who deserve some kind honor by having their names on our robot adventurers.

And what happens when such a probe blows up on the launch pad? No honor there, but you waste a good name.
I suppose I can totally understand the Japanese and their habit of renaming their spacecraft once they're up and about.

[ljk4-1]

And what happens when such a probe blows up on the launch pad? No honor there, but you waste a good name.
I suppose I can totally understand the Japanese and their habit of renaming their spacecraft once they're up and about.

So let us adopt the Japanese tactic and change it on the way. That is fine with me.

Or you can add a 2 to the next probe. Works for me too. Shows we don't give up from a few setbacks. And the person gets to be on TWO spacecraft.

[mike]

Who's to say what some alien species will think of our microchip when they find it? Maybe they'll think it's the Magical Word of God, or maybe they'll think it's recipes, or lists of star names, or the people who built the probe, or a table of some obscure scientific data that they'll someday be able to decipher, if they just keep trying, and trying, and trying some more..

A microchip with names on it could very arguably be more interesting than a simple gold phonograph and line etchings of naked people.

Poetic enough?

[ljk4-1]

Who's to say what some alien species will think of our microchip when they find it?  Maybe they'll think it's the Magical Word of God, or maybe they'll think it's recipes, or lists of star names, or the people who built the probe, or a table of some obscure scientific data that they'll someday be able to decipher, if they just keep trying, and trying, and trying some more..

A microchip with names on it could very arguably be more interesting than a simple gold phonograph and line etchings of naked people.

Poetic enough?

No, it isn't.

[mike]

Ah. It's easy to complain and never actually do anything yourself.

[ljk4-1]

Ah.  It's easy to complain and never actually do anything yourself.

I already offered to do what I could in the endeavor of placing relevant and detailed messages onbiard deep space probes, but apparently the so-called powers that be have no interest in such things.

Do you have any means of making such things happen? If all I am able to do is make some noise to make things happen, then so be it.

[mike]

I probably have no more means than you. However, I'm not sure how any alien species will be able to decode any written language at all, and images might just be confusing. Ultimately I think putting anything on the probe is useful, whether it be names, a diagram of our solar system, sound clips of Eminem, sensors, engines, transmitters, software, DNA (inevitably)...

[Comga]

Will anything of note other than a microchip full of names be placed on NH before it is launched?

Alan Stern talked about putting a few objects in New Horizons. One of them was to honor Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered it. Don't know if any item actually made it.

[Comga]

Alan Stern talked about putting a few objects in New Horizons.  One of them was to honor Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered it.  Don't know if any item actually made it.

Oops. I meant to say that Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto, of course.

[mchan]

Latest PI update --

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspec...ve_current.html

The RTG is coming in at about 200 W, a bit higher than the 190-192 W stated earlier. It's all good according to the link above.