MAX-C/ExoMars, Dual NASA/ESA rovers slated for 2018 launch |
MAX-C/ExoMars, Dual NASA/ESA rovers slated for 2018 launch |
Mar 18 2010, 08:25 AM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 239 Joined: 18-December 07 From: New York Member No.: 3982 |
In case anyone doesn't know the 22nd MEPAG meeting is going on March 17th and 18th.
On the presentations posted for the first day there is one titled "Mars Sample Return (three element architecture)." On the 5th slide it states that during to the "Team X" study, the aeroshell was increased in diameter from 4.5m to 4.7m in order to accommodate both MAX-C and ExoMars together. I took a look at the specifications for the Atlas 5 launch vehicle and found on page 6-4 and 6-21 that the maximum diameter of the payload bay was 4.572m. Is it possible to fit a 4.7m aeroshell in a 4.572m payload bay? I know this mission is still in the early planning stage and that these numbers should be taken with a huge grain of salt; but this looks like a pretty big oversight. |
|
|
Mar 10 2011, 01:57 AM
Post
#2
|
|
Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
Those are ridiculous examples John. Doug's point wasn't that engineers don't make errors. His point was that engineers designing a Mars Rover would not be so stupid as to design one where the solar panels were so faulty as to fail under known and foreseeable conditions, which is what Peter was implying:
Firstly, I can not imagine riding in a very rocky terrain. Secondly, in the case of strong wind (dust devils, dust storms) forces acting on the panels will be huge and can easily destroy them. It's not as if people sit around a bar dreaming these things up and sketching out the final blueprints on a cocktail napkin, or for that matter by chatting with their keyboards on a discussion forum. There are extensive and rigorous years-long planning stages, drafting, simulations, testing, and more and more and more testing involving hundreds of people's expertise and input along the way. In fact far more eventualities and potentially destructive factors are taken into account than most of us ever imagine. The fragile craft Peter is imagining wouldn't make it past the first round of launch vibration tests. -------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 19th April 2024 - 11:53 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE 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. |