Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 (edited) So...within a few short hours...the Red Planet is going to have a new dot floating in the sky above it. 1 hour and 59 minutes from the time I'm typing this line (1:24 p.m. PST), and probably shorter by the time I post it, the main engines on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will begin firing, slowing it down and allowing it to begin slipping into a low orbit around Mars. This is going to be an interesting mission, assuming everything goes well today. The MRO has the most advanced package of instruments yet sent to Mars. You're almost literally at the level of being able to create a "Google Mars" with the accuracy of this thing. The orbiter carries six instruments for studying every level of Mars from underground layers to the top of the atmosphere. Among them, the most powerful telescopic camera ever sent to a foreign planet will reveal rocks the size of a small desk. An advanced mineral-mapper will be able to identify water-related deposits in areas as small as a baseball infield. Radar will probe for buried ice and water. A weather camera will monitor the entire planet daily. An infrared sounder will monitor atmospheric temperatures and the movement of water vapor. The instruments will produce torrents of data. The orbiter can pour data to Earth at about 10 times the rate of any previous Mars mission, using a dish antenna 3 meters (10 feet) in diameter and a transmitter powered by 9.5 square meters (102 square feet) of solar cells. "This spacecraft will return more data than all previous Mars missions combined," said Jim Graf, project manager for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Scientists will analyze the information to gain a better understanding of changes in Mars' atmosphere and the processes that have formed and modified the planet's surface. "We're especially interested in water, whether it's ice, liquid or vapor," said JPL's Dr. Richard Zurek, project scientist for the orbiter. "Learning more about where the water is today and where it was in the past will also guide future studies about whether Mars has ever supported life." A second major job for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, in addition to its own investigation of Mars, is to relay information from missions working on the surface of the planet. During its planned five-year prime mission, it will support the Phoenix Mars Scout, which is being built to land on icy soils near the northern polar ice cap in 2008, and the Mars Science Laboratory, an advanced rover under development for launch in 2009. Good luck MRO, and have a safe day. We're lookin forward to seein what you can do. (1 hour, 55 minutes until firing now) Edited March 10, 2006 by Balta1701 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 MAAAAAAARS!!! In all seriousness, this is very cool stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 We have never left MARS! Seriously those rovers have kicked an incredible amount of ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandy125 Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 02:07 PM) We have never left MARS! Seriously those rovers have kicked an incredible amount of ass. Are those rovers still going? I know that they lasted way longer than they thought they would, and last I heard, they were still moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 02:07 PM) We have never left MARS! Seriously those rovers have kicked an incredible amount of ass. What is it, something like two years past their life expectancy? You're right, they really have kicked ass. It's getting kinda funny at this point, though. I hear the probes on both of them are pretty much cashed, so, it'll be kinda fun to see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:12 PM) What is it, something like two years past their life expectancy? You're right, they really have kicked ass. It's getting kinda funny at this point, though. I hear the probes on both of them are pretty much cashed, so, it'll be kinda fun to see what happens. Yes they're still going. It will be 2 years past Spirit's life expectancy next month. They'll probably still be going up towards the end of the year, maybe even afterwards. It's possible that some of MRO's instruments could be online while those are still running, and maybe could even be useful in guiding the rovers to whatever it sees. Hell, it might be able to see the rovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 03:12 PM) What is it, something like two years past their life expectancy? You're right, they really have kicked ass. It's getting kinda funny at this point, though. I hear the probes on both of them are pretty much cashed, so, it'll be kinda fun to see what happens. They are at some ridiculous multiple of their expected lifetime, and are still moving and transmitting tons of priceless information and pictures back to NASA. They have to be one of the most succesful programs in the history of US space activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 (edited) Lots of people standing around JPL with the occasional large outburst of clapping and cheers. Just heard a "That was easy" over their broadcast. Step 1 of orbital insertion...pressurization of the main fuel tanks has worked perfectly. Next step is a switch over to the low-gain antenna, which can broadcast to Earth while the spacecraft is turned & slowing itself down. 32 minutes until firing. Edited March 10, 2006 by Balta1701 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 (edited) Loss of Signal (LOS) at expected time...switching over to Low-Gain antenna right now. Switchover completely successful...60 seconds or so the spacecraft will begin turning itself into position for the burn. Edited March 10, 2006 by Balta1701 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 Spacecraft is in burn attitude now. Burn will start in 4 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 The MRO will burn for 27 minutes, slowing its speed by 3540 kilometers per hour (2500 mph). 6 minutes before the burn ends, it will pass behind the shadow of Mars, and the burn will have to be completed while out of radio contact with Earth. It will emerge from radio blackout at about 2:16 PST. If it comes out at the right time, it'll be in orbit. So for about 1/2 hour there, a lot of people up @ JPL will be hyperventilating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 And the engine on MRO is burning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 03:51 PM) Step 1 of orbital insertion As long as they aren't pissing in the b****es ocular cavities... Thank you John "Vicki" Johnson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 AND MRO IS IN ORBIT!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 05:51 PM) ^^^^ One of the many the many things I can't wait to do with my daughter is to take her to the space centers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 07:17 PM) ^^^^ One of the many the many things I can't wait to do with my daughter is to take her to the space centers... We miss our shuttle launches. I have pictures of my kids up at a launch when they were really tiny, My daughter has got my binoculars in her little hands and she's smiling from ear to ear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted March 13, 2006 Author Share Posted March 13, 2006 Hehe, just wait until they get to add MRO images...Google Mars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hi8is Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 13, 2006 -> 06:22 PM) Hehe, just wait until they get to add MRO images...Google Mars. So, Mars is where all the LSD hippies can have their final and grand orgy of free love?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 http://www.google.com/mars/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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