IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Just for fun - 30 minutes of probe data
NickF
post Nov 9 2009, 10:01 PM
Post #1


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 107
Joined: 29-January 09
Member No.: 4589



Suppose you could have 30 minutes worth of robotic probe data from any object in the Solar System (either in orbit around it or from the surface). The technology used should not be significantly advanced from that in use today (no tachyon scanners). What target would you choose, and why?

I think my choice would have to be a mini-submarine in the sunless seas on Europa equipped with a video camera (and a suitably strong source of light), a hydrophone and a mass spectrometer. Imagine hearing the creak of the ice, catching a glimpse of something unexpected on the camera and MS data of unusually complex organic molecules.

Well I can dream, right? wink.gif


--------------------
Protein structures and Mars fun - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nick960/
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
 
Start new topic
Replies
mchan
post Nov 12 2009, 06:07 AM
Post #2


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 599
Joined: 26-August 05
Member No.: 476



Pack today's state of art remote and in-situ instruments plus power and comm with enough bandwidth to send real time data back from a 30 minute say 5 Km altitude orbital speed pass over south pole of Enceladus orthogonal to the tiger stripes, including a stereo multi-wavelength 60 fps Kaguya-like wide angle HDTV video looking out from 30 degrees off nadir to the horizon at right angles to flight path, a HiRISE-like hi-res stripe, imaging spectrometers, mass spectrometer, particle analyzers. Using the circular orbit calculator, I get a period of 160 minutes, so 30 minutes is about 19% of the circumference of Enceladus. Now all you just have to do is magically get all that mass into a 5 Km high polar orbit around Enceladus. A slight drawback is if it goes about now, about half the pass will be in Saturnshine. Time the pass as Enceladus crosses Saturn terminator so the video catches the planet on the horizon. If it helps, I'll chip in 50 bucks for the Blu-ray. wink.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Hungry4info
post Nov 12 2009, 07:55 AM
Post #3


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1414
Joined: 26-July 08
Member No.: 4270



QUOTE (mchan @ Nov 12 2009, 12:07 AM) *
Using the circular orbit calculator, I get a period of 160 minutes, so 30 minutes is about 19% of the circumference of Enceladus. Now all you just have to do is magically get all that mass into a 5 Km high polar orbit around Enceladus.


I would think such an orbit is unstable, because Enceladus has a very small hill sphere, and any orbit non-coplanar with the moons would be a lot of fun trying to keep stable, that close to Saturn anyway.


--------------------
-- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
centsworth_II
post Nov 12 2009, 08:12 AM
Post #4


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 2173
Joined: 28-December 04
From: Florida, USA
Member No.: 132



QUOTE (Hungry4info @ Nov 12 2009, 02:55 AM) *
I would think such an orbit is unstable...
Who cares if the probe crashes after 30 minutes?
In fact, have the main part crash at 25 minutes and a follow on part do LCROSS-type analysis of the material thrown up. laugh.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Posts in this topic
- NickF   Just for fun - 30 minutes of probe data   Nov 9 2009, 10:01 PM
- - ugordan   Europa would be my first choice, too. Getting anyt...   Nov 9 2009, 10:41 PM
|- - NickF   QUOTE (ugordan @ Nov 9 2009, 10:41 PM) My...   Nov 9 2009, 11:54 PM
- - djellison   Europa ocean as well for me Take the Beagle 2...   Nov 9 2009, 10:56 PM
- - Juramike   My vote would be for a surface image and chemical ...   Nov 9 2009, 11:13 PM
- - ngunn   For sheer spectacle I'd sit on well placed rim...   Nov 9 2009, 11:13 PM
|- - DDAVIS   I would place a probe with a TV camera near a Mart...   Nov 9 2009, 11:57 PM
- - Geert   The shore of one of the lakes on Titan, overlookin...   Nov 10 2009, 12:37 AM
- - ElkGroveDan   I think a powerful multispectral imager from the s...   Nov 10 2009, 12:59 AM
- - Sunspot   Would a lake front spot on Titan really look drama...   Nov 10 2009, 08:31 AM
- - machi   So much interesting objects in our Solar system...   Nov 10 2009, 03:45 PM
- - climber   Solar system you said. Is Earth eligible? Europa a...   Nov 10 2009, 04:40 PM
|- - centsworth_II   QUOTE (climber @ Nov 10 2009, 11:40 AM) ....   Nov 10 2009, 10:46 PM
- - imipak   QUOTE (NickF @ Nov 9 2009, 11:01 PM) ...(...   Nov 10 2009, 10:29 PM
|- - NickF   QUOTE (imipak @ Nov 10 2009, 10:29 PM) In...   Nov 10 2009, 11:31 PM
- - Michael Capobianco   In addition to all the other great places, especia...   Nov 10 2009, 11:19 PM
- - mchan   Pack today's state of art remote and in-situ i...   Nov 12 2009, 06:07 AM
|- - Hungry4info   QUOTE (mchan @ Nov 12 2009, 12:07 AM) Usi...   Nov 12 2009, 07:55 AM
|- - centsworth_II   QUOTE (Hungry4info @ Nov 12 2009, 02:55 A...   Nov 12 2009, 08:12 AM
|- - Hungry4info   QUOTE (centsworth_II @ Nov 12 2009, 02:12...   Nov 12 2009, 08:19 AM
- - nprev   I gotta go with 30 minutes of broadband data from ...   Nov 12 2009, 07:32 AM
- - belleraphon1   Whoa… way too much to choose from…. From a lava ...   Nov 13 2009, 12:05 AM
- - charborob   30 minutes inside Saturn's rings should be int...   Nov 16 2009, 04:09 PM
|- - PFK   Got to be something I'll never see in my lifet...   Nov 16 2009, 10:39 PM
- - AndyG   How about a thirty-minute sequence flying through ...   Nov 17 2009, 09:38 AM
- - Bjorn Jonsson   I'd probably want a Titan lander on an interes...   Nov 19 2009, 12:22 PM


Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 29th March 2024 - 08:47 AM
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.