Anomalies in spacecraft velocities |
Anomalies in spacecraft velocities |
Feb 29 2008, 07:06 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 117 Joined: 7-December 06 From: Sheffield UK Member No.: 1462 |
Very interesting story on SPACE.com regarding currently unexplained anomalies in the velocities of spacecraft after their Earth flybys.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0802...ft-anomaly.html Perhaps the twisting of spacetime induced by Earth's rotation could be gently altering the spacecraft's velocity. http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/200...FTOKEN=51791561 In any case its pretty cool to have an unexplained force meddling with our best laid plans. -------------------- It's a funny old world - A man's lucky if he gets out of it alive. - W.C. Fields.
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Feb 29 2008, 07:57 PM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Mmm...don't forget that the gravitational constant G is the least precisely known of all the physical constants, and it's a direct coefficient for many trajectory calculations. I suspect that part of the answer lies in this uncertainty.
If anyone were to undertake a serious investigation of these anomalies, I'd suggest a very precisely balanced spin-stabilized vehicle (with operational mass known to the highest degree possible), minimal outgassing, and almost nothing ancillary but the basic bus functions needed to keep it stable & relay data that would do a high-perigee (to negate drag effects) Molinya style Earth orbit with supporting tracking. Think we're really getting very deep into the weeds here; statistical uncertainties seem like the most probable causes for these observed effects. -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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