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To: MtnClimber
"...so the spacecraft is hibernating to preserve its energy."

New Horizon's power comes from the radioactive decay of plutonium. You can't stop or slow radioactive decay, so I wonder what they mean by "hibernating".
3 posted on 07/11/2017 2:42:24 PM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Telepathic Intruder

They probably have battery systems on board for the sudden total energy it needs when it is time to do some science stuff with all the instruments at once.

Then it goes to sleep and recharges them.


4 posted on 07/11/2017 2:45:07 PM PDT by Mr. K (***THERE IS NO CONSEQUENCE OF REPEALING OBAMACARE THAT IS WORSE THAN OBAMACARE ITSELF***)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/august/sun-082310.html

Stanford Report, August 23, 2010
The strange case of solar flares and radioactive elements
When researchers found an unusual linkage between solar flares and the inner life of radioactive elements on Earth, it touched off a scientific detective investigation that could end up protecting the lives of space-walking astronauts and maybe rewriting some of the assumptions of physics.

BY DAN STOBER

It’s a mystery that presented itself unexpectedly: The radioactive decay of some elements sitting quietly in laboratories on Earth seemed to be influenced by activities inside the sun, 93 million miles away...........


11 posted on 07/11/2017 3:00:36 PM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
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To: Telepathic Intruder

Hibernation for New Horizons means the science instruments are turned off, the high gain antenna is pointed toward Earth, the spacecraft computer system is put in a low power mode, and the thrusters are fired to put the spacecraft into a gentle spin. The instruments are turned off to save wear and tear on the electronics. The spin helps the spacecraft maintain course.

MD, who worked on the Alice instrument on New Horizons


14 posted on 07/13/2017 3:19:44 PM PDT by MikeD (We live in a world where babies are like velveteen rabbits that only become real if they are loved.)
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