BepiColombo Status |
BepiColombo Status |
Jan 19 2008, 08:43 PM
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#31
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
BepiColombo will not be able to go to the outer solar system, even if it turns out to be easier energy-wise because it will rely on solar electric propulsion. Go further out from the Sun and the available power rapidly decreases. You can't just send a spacecraft built for Mercury around the solar system like that, there are operating environment issues (thermal control, radiation), instrument suite optimizations etc.
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Jan 19 2008, 08:59 PM
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#32
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Was anyone bugged when Mars Odyssey went after MGS, MEX after Odyssey and MRO after MEX?
At the very lowest level, two streams of data coming back from Mercury are better than one. More insightfully, BC will be doing some overlap science, some new science - and will be observing at a higher resolution. Doug |
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Jan 19 2008, 09:39 PM
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#33
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2530 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 321 |
The Galileans are much more challenging targets than Mercury for sustained orbital operations. They have tiny Hill Spheres, so you need to put the orbiter into a low orbit or Jupiter will steal the craft away at apoapsis. And shielding against the massive radiation is an even bigger problem.
It would be easier to fly by the Galileans than Mercury, but orbiting them (Io and Europa, at least) is harder. |
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Jan 20 2008, 02:38 PM
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#34
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Member Group: Members Posts: 121 Joined: 26-September 05 From: Philadelphia Member No.: 507 |
i would assume that mission managers have their reasons… just always wonder about these things. but i am still shocked that there would be little coordination between bepicolumbo and messenger. just having one orbiter at mercury would make me want to save that money and earmark it for a wholly new mission elsewhere. assuming much of the craft is already assembled, perhaps it is not suited for any other kind of mission other than inner system – which has few targets.
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Jan 20 2008, 02:41 PM
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#35
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
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Jan 20 2008, 10:54 PM
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#36
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Member Group: Members Posts: 220 Joined: 13-October 05 Member No.: 528 |
I see your point about wanting there to be a balance on missions, and not focus too much on one spot when so many tempting targets stand waiting.
But given that there have been only 2 missions to Mercury so far, I'm not that bothered by the idea of Bepi Columbo heading there a full decade after Messenger. In fact, I rather like the idea that some targets get a series of missions so that our knowledge about them slowly expands rather than jump up dramatically, then just come to a halt for decades. (such as happened with the Mars Viking missions) Besides.... better another two orbiters at Mercury (Bepi-Columbo has two orbiters) than yet another Moon mission. I understand that countries like China and India are getting their space legs and gathering experience by doing the lunar missions, but personally I just don't do handsprings of excitement over the idea that we will have 4 lunar orbiters launched over a 2 year period. |
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Jan 21 2008, 12:46 AM
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#37
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10227 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
Well, the different missions carry different instruments - the lunar ones you mention, and the mercury missions. It's not all duplication.
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PDF: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Jan 21 2008, 08:43 AM
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#38
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
If you ask me this has become rather absurd. Look at us, we actually have people complaining we have too many missions at one planet!
Seriously, guys! The more, the merrier. -------------------- |
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Jan 21 2008, 09:04 AM
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#39
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Member Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 23-March 06 Member No.: 723 |
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Jan 21 2008, 10:45 AM
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#40
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Member Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 18-November 07 Member No.: 3964 |
Money was at least one important issue. Not only development and building costs, but also the cost of another Soyuz launch vehicle.
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Jan 21 2008, 11:37 AM
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#41
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
QUOTE for those of us too lazy to do the research… what will be the major difference between messenger’s objectives at mercury and bepi-columbo’s? Aren't you watching spacEuropeTV?! There are four main aspects about BC enhanced by the Project Scientist: SIXS, MERTIS, ISA+MORE and, of course...JAXA's MMO... What gives you that idea? Doug, besides some data exchange, and what BC can learn from MESSENGER, on the technical side there will be no cooperation between the two missions. -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Jan 21 2008, 01:21 PM
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#42
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Member Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 18-November 07 Member No.: 3964 |
Ustrax, spaceEurope says that MESSENGER's coverage of Mercury is 25%, but BepiColombo's is global. What does it exactly mean?
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Jan 21 2008, 02:14 PM
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#43
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Ustrax, spaceEurope says that MESSENGER's coverage of Mercury is 25%, but BepiColombo's is global. What does it exactly mean? I believe that the percentages are related with the fact of BC having the power to obtain a larger set of datait by being equiped with a better arsenal of instruments than MESSENGER. At the end of both missions, the data acquired could be converted into this numbers... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Jan 21 2008, 02:31 PM
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#44
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
So you think it's just a translation issue? They mean BC will only have a 25% overlap with Messenger -- in terms of data, not km^2. That would both make sense and be good to hear. :-)
--Greg |
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Jan 21 2008, 02:52 PM
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#45
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
So you think it's just a translation issue? They mean BC will only have a 25% overlap with Messenger -- in terms of data, not km^2. That would both make sense and be good to hear. :-) --Greg Yes, that was the impression I had, that the numbers are referring to data and not area, by what I know MESSENGER will cover much more than 25% of Mercury's surface...if that is not clear in the video sorry for not being clear enough. -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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