Sorry, somebody had to do it.
Posted on 03/08/2006 9:35:55 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) - NASA scientists were nervous as an orbiter neared Mars after a seven-month voyage carrying the most expensive equipment ever sent to another planet.
"We have a tremendous amount of anxiety and concern at this particular point in time," said Jim Graf, project manager for the Mars Reconnaissance Observer (MRO).
"At the same time we feel confident, we have a very good spacecraft ... (and an) excellent well trained team," he said in a press conference from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
"We are about 325,000 miles (523,036 kilometers) from Mars. We're traveling at about 6,400 miles (10,300 kilometers) an hour and we are going to double our speed as we get closer to Mars," he said.
The tricky part, he said, will be maneuvering the craft into a Mars orbit. Because of the great distance, it takes 12 minutes for data to reach Earth from the craft -- and another 12 minutes for instructions to be sent back.
"There is no time for the team as a whole to react," he said.
"So we have on board all the programs we need to carry out, and the spacecraft has to do it all on its own."
"Mars is unpredictable," Graf said. The tally of travel to Mars is grim: of the 35 missions to Mars since 1960, 21 have failed.
To achieve Mars orbit, the probe's engines will begin firing at 2125 GMT on Friday for 27 minutes. That should slow the craft enough to allow its capture by Mars' gravity.
About 20 minutes later, the orbiter will disappear behind Mars for 30 minutes before it renews contact with very anxious scientists on Earth.
At first, the probe will be in a highly elliptical orbit 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Mars at the closest point and 44,000 kilometers (27,340 miles) at its apogee.
In late March, NASA engineers will start operations to bring the probe to a round orbit close to Mars so it can begin its 25-month observation mission.
The MRO carries six observation and analysis instruments to search from its outer atmosphere to below the martian surface for signs of water and ice.
"Confirm 2-way Doppler" (signal, I presume)
Yes, and after achieving design orbit they will have to compensate for atmospheric drag. Mars' atmosphere is heavier than earth's atmosphere at that altitude.
I had the misfortune to have a quack social worker as a neighbor. He told me that they couldn't voice the word
"cubits" at his place of employment since a cubit was the unit of measurement that was used to define the maximum length
of the rod that one could use to beat the wife.
They recieved communication from the orbiter..
Later, they confirm they have "two way", meaning they have sent a signal, it has been recieved, and a confirmation returned from the orbiter..
Comm Link has been therefore established..
Sorry, somebody had to do it.
Big cheers. All confirmed on orbit. Congratulations NASA!
In orbit around the planet Mars.....
Marvin's captured another Earth probe!!!!!!
DangIt !!!!
That's great.
Final orbit should be established in November, '06..
Someone just overheard on NASA-TV offering to buy the beer. ;)
Okay, thanks!...Wow, five months... I guess that means we won't be seeing many pictures taken by that fancy onboard camera until this summer. :-(
Always thought a cubit was the length of an average man's forearm... (wrist to elbow)
Actually, I had heard the one about the "rod to beat one's wife" with somewhere before, but can't remember if it was serious or in jest..
On his tab or the taxpayers?
Not being snarky, just a thank you to the folks footing the bill would be nice....
Thanks.
Boy these guys have a right to be happy, how long have they been working on this. Also good to see they have so many women. TAKE THAT, HARVARD.
There may be some pics taken before then, but mostly just test shots, when the orbiter is in the proper angle, and for equipment checks only..
I have infinite respect for the physics guys at MIT. They were investigating a world far beyond the conventionalist understandings of us ordinary engineers. Played a lotta music with some physics folks too. Don't know where they ended up...but sure they were pushing the boundaries.
Already have. :-)
I will be worlking late this evening! :-)
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