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To: Socratic
So, did it actually have too little fuel left to complete the mission (when it actually struck its target), or was it faulty sensors which indicated a false fuel reading.

The article notes that the DART "estimated" how much fuel was left..
I don't understand why they are using software to estimate fuel usage, when a simple physical gas gauge would do the job more efficiently and far more accurately.. ( no "estimation" at all.. actual measurement of fuel left.. )

Likewise, I agree on the sensors issue..
Explanations like that are intuitively disconcerting..
Telemetry alone should have caught any discrepancies immeadiately, unless the person monitoring that activity was on a bathroom break or something.. ( i.e., not doing their job. )

All in all, very disappointing..

10 posted on 05/15/2006 7:17:03 PM PDT by Drammach (Freedom... Not just a job, it's an adventure..)
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To: Drammach
using software to estimate fuel usage,

Maybe there's some technical reason why a "real" fuel/pressure gauge can't be used? The thing is not operating at STP, and
throw in the orientation, micro gravity, and speeding around at roughly 18K mph, in the sunlight for say an hour, behind
the Earth for maybe half an hour, it does present a challenge.

12 posted on 05/15/2006 7:50:10 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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