What "weed need" is a space mission! - Page 79

Dr Sardonicus · 2018-08-12, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by diep

Hopefully when getting close to the Sun the Parker mission doesn't burn.

Space missions to the sun were the subject of [dumb ethnicity du jour] jokes when I was in grade school. The way to avoid burning up was, they would go at night.

diep · 2018-08-12, 14:55

They say they got a heatshield.However the heatshield is just at 1 side of the spacecraft. We sure may hope the heat comes from just 1 direction - another thing i highly doubt.

Some missions you simply have to do in the end - but there is always too many expensive plans on the planet which have a long life and after some decades suddenly someone signs up for it, ignoring the problems with positive talk and wishful thinking.

From a distance seen this seems like that last. Let's hope i'm wrong.

It's gonna get cooked like a shrimp in a boiling pan.

xilman · 2018-08-13, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by diep

They say they got a heatshield.However the heatshield is just at 1 side of the spacecraft. We sure may hope the heat comes from just 1 direction - another thing i highly doubt.

Whether you doubt it or not, it's true. Virtually all the heating is from solar radiation which is carefully kept in front of the spacecraft. Behind and off to the sides the sky is black and very cold. Spacecraft engineers have been using this principle for decades because it applies in earth orbit as well as closer to the Sun.

An earlier doubt you expressed was hitting matter and whether it would "go straight through". It will hit mass undoubtedly but only in the form of extremely rarefied gas, something which would be regarded as an excellent high vacuum in these parts. The gas, mostly protons, helium nuclei and electrons are travelling nowhere near fast enough to penetrate the heat shield. The relative velocity is < 200 km/s, itself < 0.001c. Even at 0.9c only small amounts of erosion would take place.

Uncwilly · 2018-08-13, 21:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by xilman

It will hit mass undoubtedly but only in the form of extremely rarefied gas, something which would be regarded as an excellent high vacuum in these parts.

In the lead up to the launch I watched the show and tell from the day before. There was mention of some very fine dust in the area and it being more important that the gas or heat coming in from the side. The velocity was asked about and the team said it was a non-issue, as there is nothing to have friction against.

VictordeHolland · 2018-09-28, 09:39

ULA will use BE-4 engines from Blue Origin on their Vulcan rocket (in development). We all saw this one comming, Aerojet reducing their funding on their AR1 engine and their ever slipping schedule. BE-4 is probably a cheaper engine anyway and has already had hot-firing tests done. And it runs on methane, which should provide good ISP, while still being denser than Hydrogen. And it burns more cleanly than RP-1, so you have less to worry about soot forming in the turbopumps/turbines/plumbing.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...t-engines-too/

It's a great time for rocket engine development, with SpaceX working on their Raptor engine (Full flow staged combustion Methane-LOX), which would also be a revolutionary design if they can get it to work efficiently. It is slightly less powerfull (in terms of thrust) than the BE-4 engine though.

Uncwilly · 2018-10-07, 06:11

There is a planned launch and RTLS landing projected for the USA's west coast by Space-X . This should be visible (in part) to millions of people.

They really need to get their Texas launch site up and running.

Dr Sardonicus · 2018-10-12, 14:14

Be nice if we could get our own astronauts to the ISS: Soyuz Rocket Launch Failure Forces Emergency Landing for US-Russian Space Station Crew

masser · 2018-10-12, 14:31

Parker Solar Probe Update

We should hear about initial flyby results by the end of the year.

Uncwilly · 2018-11-26, 20:55

Photo from the area of Mars called as boring as a parking lot.

This is shaping up to be a good year.

A little spy has informed me that Space-X is preparing to catch a fairing on Wednesday.

Also, if you listen to the Orbital Mechanics podcast there is good things coming. (Can't say what, but fans of the show will enjoy it [hopefully].)

kladner · 2018-11-27, 10:11

The solar probe reminds me of a Ray Bradbury story which is as old as I am.
"The Golden Apples of the Sun" is the name of a Bradbury collection; but is also the name of a short story. That story is of a human-crewed ship venturing close to the sun. That captain speaks of toward and away from the sun as South and North.

masser · 2018-11-27, 14:03

Ray Bradbury has written some of my favorite short stories.

One of the things I find interesting about the Parker Solar Probe is its place in the history of solar exploration. It's breaking records set by a previous solar probe, Helios-B, in the mid 1970s. So, in some sense, we're "just" doing something we've already done before, but with updated instrumentation, tools and controls. We're answering new and refined questions with 40 more years of experience studying the sun.

2018-10-12, 14:31	#866
masser Jul 2003 wear a mask 2×829 Posts	Parker Solar Probe Parker Solar Probe Update We should hear about initial flyby results by the end of the year.

2018-11-26, 20:55	#867
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 2³×1,223 Posts	Photo from the area of Mars called as boring as a parking lot. This is shaping up to be a good year. A little spy has informed me that Space-X is preparing to catch a fairing on Wednesday. Also, if you listen to the Orbital Mechanics podcast there is good things coming. (Can't say what, but fans of the show will enjoy it [hopefully].) Attached Thumbnails

2018-11-27, 14:03	#869
masser Jul 2003 wear a mask 2·829 Posts	Ray Bradbury has written some of my favorite short stories. One of the things I find interesting about the Parker Solar Probe is its place in the history of solar exploration. It's breaking records set by a previous solar probe, Helios-B, in the mid 1970s. So, in some sense, we're "just" doing something we've already done before, but with updated instrumentation, tools and controls. We're answering new and refined questions with 40 more years of experience studying the sun. Last fiddled with by masser on 2018-11-27 at 14:03

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2018-08-12, 14:55	#860
diep Sep 2006 The Netherlands 1011011001₂ Posts	They say they got a heatshield.However the heatshield is just at 1 side of the spacecraft. We sure may hope the heat comes from just 1 direction - another thing i highly doubt. Some missions you simply have to do in the end - but there is always too many expensive plans on the planet which have a long life and after some decades suddenly someone signs up for it, ignoring the problems with positive talk and wishful thinking. From a distance seen this seems like that last. Let's hope i'm wrong. It's gonna get cooked like a shrimp in a boiling pan.

2018-09-28, 09:39	#863
VictordeHolland "Victor de Hollander" Aug 2011 the Netherlands 10010011000₂ Posts	ULA will use BE-4 engines from Blue Origin on their Vulcan rocket (in development). We all saw this one comming, Aerojet reducing their funding on their AR1 engine and their ever slipping schedule. BE-4 is probably a cheaper engine anyway and has already had hot-firing tests done. And it runs on methane, which should provide good ISP, while still being denser than Hydrogen. And it burns more cleanly than RP-1, so you have less to worry about soot forming in the turbopumps/turbines/plumbing. https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...t-engines-too/ It's a great time for rocket engine development, with SpaceX working on their Raptor engine (Full flow staged combustion Methane-LOX), which would also be a revolutionary design if they can get it to work efficiently. It is slightly less powerfull (in terms of thrust) than the BE-4 engine though.

2018-10-07, 06:11	#864
Uncwilly 6809 > 6502 """"""""""""""""""" Aug 2003 101×103 Posts 9784₁₀ Posts	There is a planned launch and RTLS landing projected for the USA's west coast by Space-X . This should be visible (in part) to millions of people. They really need to get their Texas launch site up and running.

2018-10-12, 14:14	#865
Dr Sardonicus Feb 2017 Nowhere 4,643 Posts	Be nice if we could get our own astronauts to the ISS: Soyuz Rocket Launch Failure Forces Emergency Landing for US-Russian Space Station Crew

2018-11-27, 10:11	#868
kladner "Kieren" Jul 2011 In My Own Galaxy! 2×3×1,693 Posts	The solar probe reminds me of a Ray Bradbury story which is as old as I am. "The Golden Apples of the Sun" is the name of a Bradbury collection; but is also the name of a short story. That story is of a human-crewed ship venturing close to the sun. That captain speaks of toward and away from the sun as South and North.