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re: So, in less than 24 hrs, we're gonna attempt to land a space craft on a comet
Posted on 11/11/14 at 10:10 pm to Alahunter
Posted on 11/11/14 at 10:10 pm to Alahunter
From NASA: "After touchdown on Nov. 12, the Philae lander will obtain the first images ever taken from a comet's surface. It will also drill into the surface to study the composition, and witness close up how a comet changes as its exposure to the sun varies. Philae can remain active on the surface for about two-and-a-half days. Its mothership, the Rosetta spacecraft, will remain in orbit around the comet through 2015. The orbiter will continue detailed studies of the comet as it approaches the sun and then moves away."
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Posted on 11/11/14 at 10:17 pm to Alahunter
pretty exciting stuff. looking forward to seeing what it tells us
Posted on 11/12/14 at 7:06 am to boxerbulldawg
quote:
How much is it going to cost? That's my question
A hell of a lot less than the War on Drugs or Terror. If you're uncomfortable spending money on an experiment like this, then I weep for you.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 7:21 am to Alahunter
Comets are the conservatives of the universe IMO. Pluto is a lib.
This post was edited on 11/12/14 at 7:22 am
Posted on 11/12/14 at 7:48 am to OMLandshark
No shite. The computer modeling and mathematics that go into landing something really small on something relatively small moving at a high rate of speed with have applications all over the place.
The beat ODE solving codes come from NASA and the military trying to shoot rockets off and blow shite up. Engineers and scientists use that every day. People are short sighted about the possible benefits of doing something new.
The beat ODE solving codes come from NASA and the military trying to shoot rockets off and blow shite up. Engineers and scientists use that every day. People are short sighted about the possible benefits of doing something new.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 9:24 am to Alahunter
Well, has it had it's simulated crash in the secret studio yet?
Posted on 11/12/14 at 10:15 am to Old Sarge
Posted on 11/12/14 at 10:22 am to Tiger n Miami AU83
Was just getting on to update.. 
Update for Nov. 12 at 10:14 a.m. EST (1514 GMT): Rosetta and Philae have sent back their first images since the two spacecraft seaparted earlier today. Newest: 1st Comet Approach Photos from European Spacecraft The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission will land on a comet on Nov. 12, with ESA, NASA and the Slooh Community providing a series of webcasts. (See our Full Coverage of comet landing.) Rosetta's Philae lander is expected to reach Comet 67P at 10:35 a.m. ET (1535 GMT), with landing confirmation reaching Earth at 11:03 a.m. ET (1603 GMT). Now Showing: Live views of Rosetta mission control
1st Comet approach photo after separating from spacecraft
Update for Nov. 12 at 10:14 a.m. EST (1514 GMT): Rosetta and Philae have sent back their first images since the two spacecraft seaparted earlier today. Newest: 1st Comet Approach Photos from European Spacecraft The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission will land on a comet on Nov. 12, with ESA, NASA and the Slooh Community providing a series of webcasts. (See our Full Coverage of comet landing.) Rosetta's Philae lander is expected to reach Comet 67P at 10:35 a.m. ET (1535 GMT), with landing confirmation reaching Earth at 11:03 a.m. ET (1603 GMT). Now Showing: Live views of Rosetta mission control
1st Comet approach photo after separating from spacecraft
Posted on 11/12/14 at 10:23 am to Alahunter
Posted on 11/12/14 at 10:40 am to Alahunter
Very cool to see them succeed, especially with all the things that can go wrong - a thruster not work, a miscalculation, a use of the wrong units of measurement (Mars Climate Orbiter).
I can't wait to see the data that comes back.
I wonder if firing the harpoons to help tether the lander to the comet caused any change in the trajectory. Would stink to go through all this and then nudge it off course and either plunge it into the sun or send it hurdling out in space.
I can't wait to see the data that comes back.
I wonder if firing the harpoons to help tether the lander to the comet caused any change in the trajectory. Would stink to go through all this and then nudge it off course and either plunge it into the sun or send it hurdling out in space.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:08 pm to PJinAtl
seconds before contact..
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:16 pm to PJinAtl
quote:
I wonder if firing the harpoons to help tether the lander to the comet caused any change in the trajectory
Apparently the harpoons didn't fire, scientists are trying to figure out why.
quote:
BBC News (World) ?@BBCWorld · 40m40 minutes ago
"I'm on the surface but my harpoons did not fire. My team is hard at work to determine why"
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:17 pm to Alahunter
Posted on 11/12/14 at 12:21 pm to Alahunter
This is super cool even if it is being created in a Hollywood studio 
Capricorn One anyone?
Capricorn One anyone?
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:37 pm to PJinAtl
quote:
PJinAtl
quote:
I wonder if firing the harpoons to help tether the lander to the comet caused any change in the trajectory. Would stink to go through all this and then nudge it off course and either plunge it into the sun or send it hurdling out in space.
Or worse still, send it towards earth. How ironic would it be for us to screw up and change its trajectory. And it hit earth and kill us all.
Damn Europeans.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:41 pm to alphaandomega
Well now they say they have lost track and contact with the lander and won't know until tomorrow if it has destroyed itself or not 
Posted on 11/12/14 at 1:49 pm to Tigerswillprevail
quote:
Rosetta was launched on 2 March 2004 and travelled 6.4 billion kilometres through the Solar System before arriving at the comet on 6 August 2014.
Posted on 11/12/14 at 3:27 pm to Alahunter
The Science Channel will have a "live event" about the landing tonight at 9 pm (8 central). Should be interesting.
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