Author Topic: Deep Space and Interplanetary Exploration - Houston, we are go for launch!  (Read 117442 times)

Wrangler

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Not so bright news, the Integrity remote copter on Mars has ended it's mission. Apparently on it's 72nd flight, the copter had tumbled and broke the tip of one it's blades. 



The report does not go into detail, but it appears too much to fly the remote copter again. 

As I recall, the Integrity's blades were super ultra light, thus they were fragile. I'm curious if they tried get it to fly vs giving up after seeing the picture. I think the former, but there not much information.

A earth bound prototype already was donated to National Air and Space Museum.

Report on SpaceNews.
« Last Edit: 25 January 2024, 16:34:25 by Wrangler »
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Daryk

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Bummer!

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Bummer!
True, but with the obtained practical data they can design a much better martian copter for future missions. 
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Wrangler

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Well, my question "Did the rovers not have cameras? Were they close enough to see the landing?" got answered.  Yep.

Curtsey of JAXA rover LEV-2.

I guess they under estimate how much rotation the lander needed to land on the legs....
« Last Edit: 25 January 2024, 22:55:17 by Wrangler »
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Prospernia

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I always like looking at the photos of the ground of the other planets; I think, "So that's what it looks like on an alien-world".

Sabelkatten

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Manley had a video on the SLIM crash after JAXA had a press conference. Apparently one of the engines failed just before landing - possibly a problem with the oxidizer feed - and while the lander came down softly it was now at an angle as well as still moving a bit sideways. Thus when it touched down it tumbled.

The impressive part is that it was under internal guidance during the whole landing sequence, and the programming was good enough to (mostly) handle a ~40% loss of power plus off-axis thrust without crashing!

Wrangler

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Manley had a video on the SLIM crash after JAXA had a press conference. Apparently one of the engines failed just before landing - possibly a problem with the oxidizer feed - and while the lander came down softly it was now at an angle as well as still moving a bit sideways. Thus when it touched down it tumbled.

The impressive part is that it was under internal guidance during the whole landing sequence, and the programming was good enough to (mostly) handle a ~40% loss of power plus off-axis thrust without crashing!
Indeed, I finally caught up on Scott Manley's video on the landing. He amazing at his analyzing everything.  They really shouldn't be using the oxidizer for fuel.  If he's right, the Venus probe lost it's engine in same manner, which shares same type engine as this lander.   Still the guidance system did a specular job landing it, and most precise landing so far. 

Hopefully, they can get away from the oxidizer fuel.  That stuff eats through anything if conditions are right.
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
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"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Sabelkatten

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Can't find what SLIM used for fuel/oxidizer mix, but given how it operated I assume it had to be hypergolic - which pretty much by default means horrible reactive substances as both fuel and oxidizer.

Daryk

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Joules per kg are what makes it worthwhile... ;)

Sabelkatten

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Hypergolics are typically not the most efficient fuels, but not needing a separate ignition system really helps with engine design and rapid stop/restart!

Wrangler

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It would cool if we got more footage of the two mini-rovers bouncing around on the surface, I do wonder if they relied on the main lander to keep contact with Earth. 
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Sabelkatten

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As I understand it the lander is shut down, so they can't be using that. I don't know if they are using another satellite to relay or if the distance is short enough to pick up down here.

kato

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Can't find what SLIM used for fuel/oxidizer mix, but given how it operated I assume it had to be hypergolic - which pretty much by default means horrible reactive substances as both fuel and oxidizer.
Took a while to find it, but apparently SLIM used 296.7 kg hydrazine as fuel and 237.3 kg MON-3 as oxidizer for the main thruster.

The main thruster system seems to be identical to the orbital maneuvering engine used on the semi-failed Venus orbiter Akatsuki launched in 2010, and differs from other similar systems by having a ceramic thruster (as in JAXA are the only ones using ceramic thrusters).
« Last Edit: 29 January 2024, 08:21:12 by kato »

ANS Kamas P81

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Wrangler

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Recent picture of the NASA's Juno probe passby of Jupiter's Moon Io.

"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Wrangler

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View from the rover to Ingenuity on sand dunes of Mars.

"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Prospernia

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So, eventually, the Martian-winds will conspire to cover to the rover on the sand-dunes, and bury it; with time, more and more sediments will be deposited on it, that, a million years from now, or so, a terraformed-Mars, water-worn valley will emerge exposing the fossilized rover for the future Martians to uncover.

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View from the rover to Ingenuity on sand dunes of Mars.


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Wrangler

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More pictures of the Juno probe fly by of Io



"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Daryk

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Nice shots! :)

Sabelkatten

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On the first picture, is that a pair of geysers in the upper left?

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Wrangler

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On the first picture, is that a pair of geysers in the upper left?
Yep, more likely volcanoes.   Given surface is cover with lava pools as Jupiter squeezes the moon.
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Wrangler

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James Webb Space Telescope has discovered / spotted coldest Brown Dwarf star yet, WISE 0855-0714.
 
"Men, fetch the Urbanmechs.  We have an interrogation to attend to." - jklantern
"How do you defeat a Dragau? Shoot the damn thing. Lots." - Jellico 
"No, it's a "Most Awesome Blues Brothers scene Reenactment EVER" waiting to happen." VotW Destrier - Weirdo  
"It's 200 LY to Sian, we got a full load of shells, a half a platoon of Grenadiers, it's exploding outside, and we're wearing flak jackets." VoTW Destrier - Misterpants
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Maingunnery

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It is surprisingly close to us, just a little over 7 LY away.
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Daryk

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My bet is on colder matter than we've seen so far being the answer to the "missing mass" problem, but it's going to take a LOT better instruments than even Webb to prove that out...

Prospernia

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It is surprisingly close to us, just a little over 7 LY away.


If you jumped there, could you recharge your sails?

Daryk

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They did it!  The US is on the moon again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg2ffigGcYM

Maingunnery

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If you jumped there, could you recharge your sails?
I don't think so as it is Y-class.
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Daryk

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That just means it takes longer than the current rules cover...

 

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