Yay! We got something down in one piece! Into Gusev, no less... Nathalie is probably overjoyed, as Gusev (and paleolakebeds) was her idea and her banner since the late 90s.
I answered you there ;-). Nathalie Cabrol was the original champion of going to Gusev Crater -- it was "her" site. And colleagues on either side of me at work have done mission software for the MER rovers...
Thanks... I missed it (on the way home) but had my fingers crossed. I'll feel better when JPL lets us put on a precision landing system (something that does real-time image analysis to steer the lander away from boulders and ditches, I worked on one a couple of years ago). Landing blind... it's a crapshoot, and forces us towards flat-and-featureless "mattress" landing sites (away from the most scientifically interesting spots).
A question came up this morning in a friend's journal regarding power sources.... but ya know I couldn't find a good reference with an answer (I'm sure it's got more to it than protestors ... but then again maybe not). http://www.livejournal.com/users/kelloggs2066/157707.html
And what happened to the European one they were waiting to hear from on Christmas Day? Did they ever hear anything or is it given up for lost?
Your friend is correct -- RTGs were widely used before the anti-nuclear protests of the late 70s/early 80s. They are still IMO the best way to power deep space and surface missions... solar radiation falls off with distance, and there's the surface weather and dust issues. RTGs are built very robustly and have survived rocket failures (being recovered from the ocean floor, bent but intact).
And as the friend of the friend of your friend, greetings and good evening. I too have an abiding interest in space development, but my involvement so far has been limited to the business side of GEO commercial satellites. I have been a good customer of commercial space, at least. ];-)
You come with high referencs, sir, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance, however distantly.
One of the other missions is cooperating in an attempt to locate and establish communications with Beagle. No word yet, but seems like people are hoping hard.
(crossed fingers) that has been nerve-wracking... our German colleagues have a subsurface probe on board, and we were counting on having their results as input to our own designs. And it is such a long, grinding effort to get a spacecraft designed, built, and launched... one hopes not in vain.
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I answered you there ;-). Nathalie Cabrol was the original champion of going to Gusev Crater -- it was "her" site. And colleagues on either side of me at work have done mission software for the MER rovers...
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http://www.livejournal.com/users/kelloggs2066/157707.html
And what happened to the European one they were waiting to hear from on Christmas Day? Did they ever hear anything or is it given up for lost?
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It switches into a different signaling mode soon or something, apparently.
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Thanks! :D
Scott
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You come with high referencs, sir, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance, however distantly.
===|==============/ Level Head
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You might want to check out http://www.spaceflightnow.com for updates.
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wish y'all had had a chance to come by for my birthday...maybe next time....
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Happy (belated) birthday, too!
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