IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

12 Pages V  « < 10 11 12  
Reply to this topicStart new topic
Europa Orbiter, Speculation, updates and discussion
JRehling
post May 8 2006, 08:35 PM
Post #166


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 2530
Joined: 20-April 05
Member No.: 321



QUOTE (mcaplinger @ May 6 2006, 11:32 PM) *
While BAE's roadmap claims they are working on a megarad-hard RAD750, the ones they've delivered are only rated to 100 krad, which is at least 3x too soft for the radiation environment we were working to for EO. Maybe they've moved that bar now.

There have been no dramatic technology breakthroughs. Any claim that a Europa orbiter has been enabled by such is simply marketing hype.


If the radiation environment is less hostile than previously estimated, Galileo's long life can be seen in a new light.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
PhilHorzempa
post May 22 2006, 02:08 AM
Post #167


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 169
Joined: 17-March 06
Member No.: 709






As we wait for NASA to come to their senses and start work on the Europa
Orbiter, here is an image to whet our appetites. According to NASA, it is the
highest resolution image of Europa obtained by Galileo. This image is from
Galileo's 12th orbit around Jupiter and was recorded on December 16, 1997.

I've always liked this image as it reminds one of the view you would
get looking out of an airplane window (I know that Europa has no atmosphere.).
I consider it in the same class as the famous Lunar Orbiter 2 oblique photo
of the crater Copernicus obtained about 30 years before the Europa image.

It's been over 8 years since the Europa photo was taken. How many more years
before we get back - 8? 10? 15?

Here is the Europa photo

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA01180.jpg


Here is the Copernicus photo

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/Lo2_h162_3.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Decepticon
post May 22 2006, 10:20 PM
Post #168


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1276
Joined: 25-November 04
Member No.: 114



At the rate we are going I hope to see any probe to Europa. I'm 30 now.


I was hoping for a Subsurface Probe buy the time I was retired.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_BruceMoomaw_*
post May 23 2006, 01:25 AM
Post #169





Guests






QUOTE (PhilHorzempa @ May 22 2006, 02:08 AM) *

As we wait for NASA to come to their senses and start work on the Europa
Orbiter, here is an image to whet our appetites. According to NASA, it is the
highest resolution image of Europa obtained by Galileo. This image is from
Galileo's 12th orbit around Jupiter and was recorded on December 16, 1997.

I've always liked this image as it reminds one of the view you would
get looking out of an airplane window (I know that Europa has no atmosphere.).

It's been over 8 years since the Europa photo was taken. How many more years
before we get back - 8? 10? 15?

Here is the Europa photo

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA01180.jpg


There was a little commentary on that photo at the February "Europa Focus Group" meeting -- specifically, that while it shows what seem to be ridges with quite dramatic slopes, it doesn't seem to show any large crevasses (and its resolution should be high enough to see them if they're there). Also note the total absence of small craters.

Of course, the tendency of dark material to slide to the bottom of slopes on the Galilean icy moons may be exaggerating the apparent roughness of the ridges as well.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
PhilHorzempa
post May 23 2006, 01:50 AM
Post #170


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 169
Joined: 17-March 06
Member No.: 709



QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ May 22 2006, 09:25 PM) *
There was a little commentary on that photo at the February "Europa Focus group" meeting -- specifically, that while it shows what seem to be ridges with quite dramatic slopes, it doesn't seem to show any large crevasses (and its resolution should be high enough to see them if they're there). Also note the total absence of small craters.

Of course, the tendency of dark material to slide to the bottom of slopes on the Galilean icy moons may be exaggerating the apparent roughness of the ridges as well.


attachments removed - they were linked to just a few posts above, no need, use or benefit to attaching them to a post.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
vexgizmo
post May 26 2006, 07:19 AM
Post #171


Junior Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 78
Joined: 29-December 05
Member No.: 623



QUOTE (PhilHorzempa @ May 21 2006, 08:08 PM) *
As we wait for NASA to come to their senses and start work on the Europa
Orbiter, here is an image to whet our appetites. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA01180.jpg

I always regret that the highest-resolution Europa press release photos were only half-released soon after the Galileo image data first hit the ground, but never updated with full versions of the photos after the 2nd pass through the spacecraft's tape recorder. Here is the full photo, rotated and with a stretch applied. Mind the gap.
Attached thumbnail(s)
Attached Image
 
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
mchan
post May 26 2006, 08:02 AM
Post #172


Member
***

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



Wow, the added context puts the view into perspective. I recall seeing the left half image separately before, but did not associate it with the right half image. I gather you "mind the gap" comment is referring to the data dropout, but I also find "gap" going from side to side striking, particularly in revealing the cross sections on the right side.

Thanks for posting the image!
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_BruceMoomaw_*
post May 26 2006, 12:24 PM
Post #173





Guests






Has anybody ever done a photometric analysis of this image to try to determine how much of the dark areas is due to genuine sun-angle shadowing, and how much is due to dark-albedo material in the lower-altitude places?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
algorimancer
post May 26 2006, 01:00 PM
Post #174


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 656
Joined: 20-April 05
From: League City, Texas
Member No.: 285



QUOTE (vexgizmo @ May 26 2006, 02:19 AM) *
Here is the full photo, rotated and with a stretch applied. Mind the gap.

I too had also only seen the lower quality half-image previously. Wow, indeed. There's just all sorts of neat stuff going on in there... I'd love to spend a few days hiking around the area. If I'm not mistaken, there are even hints of layering in some of the tilted slabs, which could probably tell us something interesting about the history of the ice.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
algorimancer
post May 26 2006, 01:49 PM
Post #175


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 656
Joined: 20-April 05
From: League City, Texas
Member No.: 285



Noticed that the slab at the bottom left fit neatly into the mid-left section. Like putting a jigsaw puzzle together smile.gif

Attached Image


So all that blocky terrain in between came from elsewhere. Cool smile.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Cugel
post May 26 2006, 02:35 PM
Post #176


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 153
Joined: 11-December 04
Member No.: 120



I wonder if the slabs on the top and bottom drifted apart and the blocky terrain welded up from below. That blocky piece of terrain has a different texture all together, sort of chaotic, where the two slabs are much more grooved.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
monitorlizard
post May 27 2006, 12:38 AM
Post #177


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 234
Joined: 8-May 05
Member No.: 381



Remember the Voyager days, when Europa was touted as being "the smoothest object in the solar
system"? Now, everybody talks about how rough the surface is for a landing !
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
vexgizmo
post Jun 16 2006, 04:16 AM
Post #178


Junior Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 78
Joined: 29-December 05
Member No.: 623



For those Europaphiles who might have missed this, from the Planetary Society. Additional info is on Emily's TPS blog. The House Subcommittee, at least, wants to see a Europa new start.

http://www.planetary.org/about/press/relea...s_Save_Our.html

June 14, 2006

House Subcommittee Helps Save Our Science

Pasadena, CA, — The fiscal year 2007 budget proposed by the Administration for NASA threatens to end a dazzling era of planetary exploration. Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Science, the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies marked-up the NASA budget, prior to sending the budget to full Committee.

The subcommittee today approved a budget of $16.7 billion, $100 million less than that requested by the Administration. But, it restored $75 million (out of $330 million) of the funding that the Administration had cut from space science plans. ...

Especially noteworthy was $15 million directed for a mission to explore Europa, the icy moon of Jupiter, with a subsurface ocean that is considered by many scientists as a possible habitat for life. This had been cut out of the plan by the Administration, and The Planetary Society vigorously campaigned for its reinstatement. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) has been a strong supporter of this mission. Funding for the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission was also provided, another mission that the Society strongly supported.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

12 Pages V  « < 10 11 12
Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 29th March 2024 - 10:26 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.