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Mothership Is Last Chance For Beagle 2
New Scientist ^
| 1-6-2004
Posted on 01/06/2004 10:30:13 AM PST by blam
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Good luck Brits, I hope you make contact.
1
posted on
01/06/2004 10:30:14 AM PST
by
blam
To: All
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2
posted on
01/06/2004 10:30:55 AM PST
by
Support Free Republic
(I'd rather be sleeping. Let's get this over with so I can go back to sleep!)
To: blam
It looks like they have a few good shots left.. It would be nice to have a few successful probe landings for a change.
3
posted on
01/06/2004 10:32:12 AM PST
by
NormsRevenge
(Semper Fi Mac ....... Become a Monthly at FR... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: NormsRevenge
Source: European Space Agency
Date: 2004-01-05
Closing In On The Red Planet : Mars Express Orbit Lowered, Search Continues For Beagle 2 Lander
January 4, 2003 -- Today at 14:13 CET, ESAs Mars Express spacecraft successfully executed an essential planned manoeuvre to reduce its orbit around the Red Planet. A five minute burn of its main engine brought Mars Express from an orbit apocentre (highest point) of 190 000 km to 40 000 km with a pericentre (lowest point) of about 250 km. Mars Express will reach its final operational orbit of about 11 000 km apocentre and 300 km pericentre towards the end of the month after two more scheduled orbit adjustments (main engine burns) on the nights of 6 to 7 and 10 to 11 January.
Todays key move enables ESA to pursue its Mars mission as planned. First, scheduled scientific observations can begin mid-January and, secondly, the search for the Beagle 2 landing module will become much more accurate.
Michael McKay, Mars Express Flight Operations Director in Darmstadt, Germany, explains: From the second half of January 2004 onwards, the orbiter's instruments will be prepared to scan the atmosphere, the surface and parts of the subsurface structure of Mars with unprecedented precision. The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), for example, will take high-precision pictures of the planet and will begin a comprehensive 3D cartography of Mars. The MARSIS radar will be able to scan as far as four kilometres below the surface, looking for underground water or ice. Also, several spectrometers will try to unveil the mysteries of Martian mineralogy and the atmosphere, as well as influences from the solar wind or seasonal changes.
Furthermore, on 7 January 2004 at 13:15 CET, the lowest point (pericentre) of the Mars Express flight path will be as close as 315 km to the landing area of the still silent Beagle 2. The American orbiter Mars Odyssey and several radio-telescopes on Earth have been unable to obtain a signal since Christmas, but chances will rise with the approach of the 'mothership' to its 'baby' Beagle 2. Mars Express and Beagle 2 are the only end-to-end tested systems, giving ESA more confidence of establishing a contact with the lander. Today, 4 January, ESA specialists are meeting with Beagle 2 staff at ESAs Operations Centre in Darmstadt to define a robust strategy for modes of interaction between the ESA orbiter and the lander. Mars Express has Ultra High Frequency (UHF) interfaces, ready to communicate with Beagle 2. In this context, Mars Express Project Manager Dr Rudolf Schmidt and his ESA colleagues are very much looking forward to 7 January 2004, 13:15 CET: At this precise time, our Mars Express orbiter is in both an ideal flight path and an ideal communication configuration, right on top of the Beagle 2 landing area, at about 86 degrees. In this situation, we should be able to discern the slightest beep on the Martian surface.
Todays manoeuvre was another step to the European exploration of Mars, ensuring both orbiter operations as planned and a precise search of the Beagle 2 lander. ESA is looking forward to an exciting Mars exploration in the next months. The latest news will be posted, as always, at: at http://mars.esa.int
4
posted on
01/06/2004 10:34:44 AM PST
by
blam
To: blam
I'm hoping that they will be able to establish contact with Beagle. The probe had a lot of very interesting scientific experiments planned that would nicely complement the findings of the Spirit and Opportunity missions.
I remember the crushing disappointment shared by the staff of the Mars Polar Lander mission. I wouldn't wish that on anyone involved in the Beagle mission.
Good luck, lads! Bob's your uncle.
5
posted on
01/06/2004 10:38:11 AM PST
by
Prime Choice
(Americans are a spiritual people. We're happy to help members of al Qaeda meet God.)
To: blam
I've always had this idea that the private sector should design, build and launch a Martian repair robot - let it wander from one landing site to another, with the equivalent of a spacecraft toolbelt, and try to fix these things. Sure, it might take a while, but it would be our own little AAA roadside guy, fixing broken fan belts....LOL
To: Viking2002
It would seem that British denial knows no end. They're still referring to it as the "landing" site.
Sure.
7
posted on
01/06/2004 10:54:37 AM PST
by
SJSAMPLE
To: Viking2002
"I've always had this idea that the private sector should design, build and launch a Martian repair robot - let it wander from one landing site to another, with the equivalent of a spacecraft toolbelt, and try to fix these things." Well....If you launch one, send it over to the space immediately...it's leaking.
8
posted on
01/06/2004 10:57:58 AM PST
by
blam
To: SJSAMPLE
If this is all they have, then any possibility no matter how remote has to be explored.
Is it possible for an orbiting satelite to take a picture of the potential "splat" site? (is it possible they used the rejected rover parachutes?)
I think it would be just as important to know why it failed.
To: blam
Their landing method wasnt too different from NASAs method... They dont have retro-rockets that slow the lander to 0 just before the parachute releases like the Spirit had....probably hit like a pallet of bricks.
10
posted on
01/06/2004 11:08:19 AM PST
by
smith288
(Secret member of the VRWC elite forces)
To: smith288
"...probably hit like a pallet of bricks." That's my suspicion too.
11
posted on
01/06/2004 11:13:43 AM PST
by
blam
To: blam
12
posted on
01/06/2004 11:14:46 AM PST
by
Pest
(I will choose Free Will!)
To: Pest
Louis Farrakhan...white courtesy phone.
13
posted on
01/06/2004 11:15:41 AM PST
by
AppyPappy
(If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
To: blam
If a beagle barks on Mars but there's no one there to hear it, is my wife still always right about everything?
14
posted on
01/06/2004 11:16:09 AM PST
by
Johnny_Cipher
("... and twenty thousand bucks to complete my robot. My GIRL robot.")
To: blam
It's silent because of that stiff-upper-lip reserve the British have...
15
posted on
01/06/2004 11:16:26 AM PST
by
Poohbah
("Beware the fury of a patient man" -- John Dryden)
To: blam
I believe they said the Spirit dropped at 50 mph after the retrorockets initiated whereas if it didnt have those, it would drop at or around 250-300 mph...thats a mighty tough landing for a balloon to take.
16
posted on
01/06/2004 11:19:33 AM PST
by
smith288
(Secret member of the VRWC elite forces)
To: SJSAMPLE
"My bet is that during the landing phase, one of the steps did not go as planned," If he's right, I hate it when that happens.
A step not going as planned, that is. Not the bet.
To: blam
US Engineers Rule!!!
UK Engineers Drool!!!
Sorry blokes, just had to get me bloody jabs in while I could. ;)
To: AppyPappy
Every time I hear about "Mothership" I think of P-funk.
Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip
And come on up to the Mothership.
19
posted on
01/06/2004 11:24:43 AM PST
by
Pest
(I will choose Free Will!)
To: smith288
From the website, the estimated speed of the beagle at "bounce-down" was less than 50 mph, even without retros..
I'll bet the parachute tore or something, poor thing went GADUNK.
20
posted on
01/06/2004 1:05:14 PM PST
by
Paradox
(Cogito ergo boom.)
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