This is Cool

P

Phil Allison

Guest
** Solar powered, ion drive spacecraft ( Dawn ) orbits asteroid - very
slowly ....

http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-20086575-239/ion-powered-dawn-begins-study-of-asteroid-vesta/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dawn_Flight_Configuration_2.jpg

The solar array is almost 20 meters across.

Dare I say, very green.....




..... Phil
 
"Phil Allison" <phil_a@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:99pdi9FspgU1@mid.individual.net...
snip
Click to expand...

Dare I say, very green.....
.... Phil

Yep, and about as meaningless as most of the environmental totems lauded by
Click to expand...
the true believers.
 
On 8/2/2011 5:26 PM, Bruce Varley wrote:
"Phil Allison"<phil_a@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:99pdi9FspgU1@mid.individual.net...

snip

Dare I say, very green.....
.... Phil

Yep, and about as meaningless as most of the environmental totems lauded by
the true believers.


Sure, never mind all the green crap but is this not pretty good
Click to expand...
engineering ???
 
"Rheilly Phoull"
Bruce Varley wrote:
"Phil Allison"

Dare I say, very green.....

Yep, and about as meaningless as most of the environmental totems lauded
by
the true believers.


Sure, never mind all the green crap but is this not pretty good
engineering ???
Click to expand...

** What is NOT cool about a fridge sized space craft orbiting an *asteroid*
at the speed of a single engine Cessna on final approach ?

And the whole thing is powered and driven through space by solar array the
size of the same Cessna's wing - PLUS sending high res images back 200
million miles to us via a 1.2 meter dia dish ?




..... Phil
 
On 8/2/2011 7:53 PM, Phil Allison wrote:
"Rheilly Phoull"
Bruce Varley wrote:
"Phil Allison"

Dare I say, very green.....

Yep, and about as meaningless as most of the environmental totems lauded
by
the true believers.


Sure, never mind all the green crap but is this not pretty good
engineering ???


** What is NOT cool about a fridge sized space craft orbiting an *asteroid*
at the speed of a single engine Cessna on final approach ?

And the whole thing is powered and driven through space by solar array the
size of the same Cessna's wing - PLUS sending high res images back 200
million miles to us via a 1.2 meter dia dish ?




.... Phil


Nothing that I can think of down this end.
Click to expand...

Rheilly P
 
"Rheilly Phoull" <rheilly@bigslong.com> wrote in message
news:jNGdnd0J5IrVUqrTnZ2dnUVZ_tKdnZ2d@westnet.com.au...
On 8/2/2011 5:26 PM, Bruce Varley wrote:
"Phil Allison"<phil_a@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:99pdi9FspgU1@mid.individual.net...

snip

Dare I say, very green.....
.... Phil

Yep, and about as meaningless as most of the environmental totems lauded
by
the true believers.


Sure, never mind all the green crap but is this not pretty good
engineering ???
Click to expand...
Absolutely, there isn't much that's more inspiring. While you're at it,
check out gravity probe B.
 
On Aug 2, 7:26 pm, "Bruce Varley" <b...@NoSpam.com> wrote:
"Phil Allison" <phi...@tpg.com.au> wrote in message

news:99pdi9FspgU1@mid.individual.net...

snip

Dare I say, very green.....
....  Phil

Yep, and about as meaningless as most of the environmental totems lauded by
the true believers.
Click to expand...
I dont think its anything to do with the environment, as short of
putting a nuclear reactor in the thing, there is just no other way to
power it. Also the solar will keep pumping out power for a lot longer
than the nuclear fuel will last ?
 
"kreed"

I dont think its anything to do with the environment, as short of
putting a nuclear reactor in the thing, there is just no other way to
power it. Also the solar will keep pumping out power for a lot longer
than the nuclear fuel will last ?


** Radioisotope generators ( using Plutonium 238) can run for decades -
probably longer than any solar array system can be expected to work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator#Life_span

Space probes like Dawn can travel to the edge of the solar system and beyond
where sunlight is over 1000 times dimmer than near earth - so PVs have
nothing to work with.



.... Phil
 
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