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Kepler On Track After Successful Launch
Aviation Week ^
| 03/09/09
| Michael Mecham
Posted on 03/09/2009 7:19:09 PM PDT by KevinDavis
A trouble-free countdown and nominal launch into clear skies sent NASA's Kepler mission to find planets outside our Solar System on its way March 6 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The 2,320-pound spacecraft, built by Ball Aerospace, was lifted into an Earth-trailing orbit by a United Launch Alliance Delta II from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationweek.com ...
TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: kepler; space
To: markman46; AntiKev; wastedyears; ALOHA RONNIE; RightWhale; anymouse; Brett66; SunkenCiv; ...
2
posted on
03/09/2009 7:19:35 PM PDT
by
KevinDavis
(No one should question our "Dear Leader"!)
To: KevinDavis
Earth Trailing orbit?
Does that mean it doesn’t orbit the earth but follows?
3
posted on
03/09/2009 7:22:21 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
To: cripplecreek; All
4
posted on
03/09/2009 7:22:59 PM PDT
by
KevinDavis
(No one should question our "Dear Leader"!)
To: KevinDavis
Beam me up Scotty; there’s no intelligent life down here.
5
posted on
03/09/2009 7:24:37 PM PDT
by
Incorrigible
(If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
To: KevinDavis
I was able to watch it go up and the night launches are gorgeous! The horizon becomes gold and then it is a huge gold light in the sky even from fifty miles away from the launch site where I am! The sky was clear so I got a great view of it.
To: cripplecreek
Yes - it is in orbit around the Sun following Earth.
7
posted on
03/09/2009 7:26:51 PM PDT
by
DevNet
(What's past is prologue)
To: KevinDavis; cripplecreek
Does that mean it doesnt orbit the earth but follows?
Yes. It will drift behind Earth as it circles the Sun. The Spitzer Space telescope pioneered the use of Earth-trailing orbits. An advantage of this type of orbit is the clarity of the star field provided.
8
posted on
03/09/2009 7:30:18 PM PDT
by
callisto
(CONGRESS.EXE corrupted... Re-boot Washington D.C? (Y/N))
To: KevinDavis; DevNet
An Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit with a period of 372.5 days provides the optimum approach to meeting of the combined Sun-Earth-Moon avoidance criteria within the Boeing 7925-10L (Delta-II) launch vehicle capability (launch videos). In this orbit the spacecraft slowly drifts away from the Earth and is at a distance of 0.5 AU (worst case) at the end of four years. Telecommunications and navigation for the mission are provided by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN).
Another advantage of this orbit is that it has a very-low disturbing torque on the spacecraft, which leads to a very stable pointing attitude. Not being in Earth orbit means that there are no torques due to gravity gradients, magnetic moments or atmospheric drag. The "largest" external torque then is that caused by solar pressure. This orbit also avoids the high radiation dosage associated with an Earth orbit, but from time to time is subject to solar flares
Launch Vehicle and Orbit
Orbit diagrams and details at the site.
9
posted on
03/09/2009 7:31:39 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
To: cripplecreek
If we keep posting about the Earth orbiting the Sun we are going to piss some people off.
10
posted on
03/09/2009 7:35:12 PM PDT
by
DevNet
(What's past is prologue)
To: KevinDavis
..95 megapixel..
Now that's a camera!
To: KevinDavis
how far behind Earth will it trail?
12
posted on
03/09/2009 7:36:33 PM PDT
by
GeronL
(Will bankrupting America lead to socialism?)
To: DevNet
Screw em, they can take a walk off the edge of the earth.
13
posted on
03/09/2009 7:36:54 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
To: cripplecreek; All
LOL!!!!! We would have been burnt at the stake back then..
14
posted on
03/09/2009 7:37:39 PM PDT
by
KevinDavis
(No one should question our "Dear Leader"!)
To: divine_moment_of_facts
15
posted on
03/09/2009 7:38:26 PM PDT
by
GeronL
(Will bankrupting America lead to socialism?)
To: GeronL
16
posted on
03/09/2009 7:39:47 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
To: GeronL
And they are hand picked custom designed CMOS sensors.
They are very very nice.
17
posted on
03/09/2009 7:41:58 PM PDT
by
DevNet
(What's past is prologue)
To: cripplecreek
There seems to be a fuel limitation that restricts Kepler to 3.5-6 years. (Which seems short to this layperson) I assume it’s because it’s in an orbit trailing the earth? Any chance they can extend it’s life beyond 6 years ala Hubble?
18
posted on
03/09/2009 7:52:16 PM PDT
by
Drango
(A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
To: Drango
From the site I linked to it sounds like there’s a possibility of extending it’s life for about two extra years.
19
posted on
03/09/2009 7:53:31 PM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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