Dawn Does Dramatic Fly Over of Ceres, Enters Lower Mapping Orbit: Video

universetoday.com ^ | on June 8, 2015 | Ken Kremer

[BenLurkin]

Scientists leading NASA’s Dawn mission to dwarf planet Ceres have just released a brand new animated video showing a dramatic fly over of the heavily cratered world featuring its mysterious bright spots whose exact origin and nature remain elusive.

Meanwhile, the venerable probe has just successfully entered its new and lower mapping orbit on June 3 from which researchers hope to glean hordes of new data to unravel the secrets of the bright spots and unlock the nature of Ceres origin and evolution.

“Dawn completed the maneuvering to reach its second mapping orbit and stopped ion-thrusting on schedule. Since May 9, the spacecraft has reduced its orbital altitude from 8,400 miles (13,600 kilometers) to 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers),” reported Marc Rayman, Dawn Chief Engineer/ Mission Director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

“As Dawn flew 2,700 miles (4,400 kilometers) over Ceres’ north pole on June 5 that marked the beginning of the new mapping phase, and Dawn began taking photos and making other measurements on schedule.”

[BenLurkin]

Dawn’s spiral descent from its first mapping orbit (RC3) to its second (survey). The two mapping orbits are shown in green. The color of Dawn’s trajectory progresses through the spectrum from blue, when it began ion-thrusting on May 9, to red, when ion-thrusting concludes on June 3. The red dashed sections show where Dawn is coasting, mostly for telecommunications. The first two coast periods include OpNav 8 and 9. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[GeronL]

My future home... lol

[MNDude]

“As Dawn flew 2,700 miles...”

That’s really far away! Why don’t they want to get any cloer?

[freedumb2003]

Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons: "Dawn" (YT)

[BenLurkin]

A classic!

[catbertz]

Very cool enhanced video. It’s a dangerous neighborhood, as demonstrated by all the impact craters. Glad we have some protection down here.

[Boogieman]

Well, they are using ion drives, which are very efficient, but generate very little thrust, so they take a long time to do any maneuvers. Just lowering to that orbit is taking them almost a full month of burning those engines!

So I am guessing they are trying to save fuel, and going any lower is not worth it. Remember, they have to burn their engines to get to a lower orbit, and then they’d have to burn even more to get back to escape velocity and get away from the planet’s gravity.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin, extra to APoD.

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

That’s really far away! Why don’t they want to get any clo(s)er?

Now you know why...................

[SunkenCiv]

That’s no moon!

[JoeProBono]

[GeronL]

nice