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San Francisco, 1:39 AM
Sat Dec 19
29 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #solarorbiter more →

    Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of NefariousNewt NefariousNewt
    04/29/09

    In reply to Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
    These mission are going to be a real gas.
     Reply
    NefariousNewt was starred NefariousNewt was unstarred
    Image of ImTheGarbageman ImTheGarbageman
    04/29/09

    In reply to Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
    OK, I'm looking into the 150 years thing, and it is DEFINITELY wrong. Log1c's post above is right.


    I looked at the Telegraph article this links to, and THEY got it wrong, too.


    I'm going to email them and ask where their info came from.


    Here's another link to real info. Its a Power Point presentation about the mission. May take a while to download, but pretty cool.

    [zeus.nascom.nasa.gov]

     Reply
    ImTheGarbageman was starred ImTheGarbageman was unstarred
    Image of ImTheGarbageman ImTheGarbageman
    04/29/09

    @ImTheGarbageman:

    Here's the real thing.


    [www.esa.int]


    It says "150 days" right there.


    I'm wondering if the error originated with the Telegraph writer or if he copied off someone else's paper.

     Reply
    ImTheGarbageman was starred ImTheGarbageman was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @ImTheGarbageman: Probably got too excited and rattled off "years" to show off the grandiose scale of things.
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Log1c Log1c
    04/29/09

    @ImTheGarbageman: AND BAM! You found the error.


    The ESA's probe (ie not NASA) will have an orbital period of 150 days. Which you've just confirmed. NASA's probe has varying orbital periods depending on what orbital path its taking (ie see what I wrote).

     Reply
    Log1c was starred Log1c was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Log1c: Both of you guys rock.
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Log1c Log1c
    04/29/09

    In reply to Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
    150 years isn't anywhere near correct. Its not days either.


    The entire mission has a complete cycle time of 24 orbits totalling 6.4 years. The final 3 orbits within 9.5 Rs or 8.4 Rs* from the Sun's surface occur over a period of 88 days.


    *Rs = 6.96x10^5 km, or (6612000 km and 5846400 km respectively)


    Source: [solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov]

     Reply
    Log1c was starred Log1c was unstarred
    Image of corpore-metal corpore-metal
    04/29/09

    @Log1c: It's my theory that the wily IO9 editors make these mistakes on purpose to drag us pointy headed physics geeks out of the woodwork.
     Reply
    corpore-metal was starred corpore-metal was unstarred
    Image of Log1c Log1c
    04/29/09

    @corpore-metal: I'm an engineer, I just read the data sheet ;)
     Reply
    Log1c was starred Log1c was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Log1c: Damn right, that's how we roll. Double checking the max values is up to the design engineer, not the app engineer! *watches things explode*
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Grey_Area Grey_Area
    04/29/09

    @crashedpc /sarcasm: Oh you silly fellows and your "math"!
     Reply
    Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Grey_Area: Math? I connect random wires and pins and see if shit works. Guess and check is alive! Only we call it the "iterative process".
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Charlie Jane Anders Charlie Jane Anders
    04/29/09

    @Log1c: Ha... Okay I'm taking that reference out. It sounded super weird to me, but I was like, "maybe it's a realllly elliptical orbit!"
     Reply
    Charlie Jane Anders was starred Charlie Jane Anders was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    In reply to Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
    "So, what should we name this landmark space probe?"


    "Solar Probe?"


    "Nah... not bombastic enough."


    "Solar Probe Plus?"


    "Fuck yea, bro!" *slams down a Corona*

     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Kevin Jones Kevin Jones
    04/29/09

    In reply to Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
    Sunshine is on my Netflix list.


    Should I just wait for the reality show?

     Reply
    Kevin Jones was starred Kevin Jones was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Kevin Jones: "So, you know, when the Captain like, left the blinds open by accident and fried half of the crewmembers, I felt really hurt, you know?"


    "WHO ATE MY RECONSTITUTED FRIES???"

     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Kevin Jones Kevin Jones
    04/29/09

    @crashedpc /sarcasm:


    Next time on The Real World: Sol


    Bo has a blow-up. "Stop it, stop it, just stop touching me man!"

     Reply
    Kevin Jones was starred Kevin Jones was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Kevin Jones: "*bleep* it, bro, every damn time, someone pisses in the wrong tube and it ends up in the showers! What is wrong with people??"
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Kevin Jones Kevin Jones
    04/29/09

    @crashedpc /sarcasm:


    "I keep waiting on Candice to notice me, but she never does. I mean, there are only like seven of us up here..."

     Reply
    Kevin Jones was starred Kevin Jones was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Kevin Jones: "It doesn't matter that she's a smoking heap of charcoal on the mess floor. Bitch didn't reciprocate!"
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of Kevin Jones Kevin Jones
    04/29/09

    @crashedpc /sarcasm:


    "Told the bitch not to disrespect me or it'd be like "Blam! Out the airlock."

     Reply
    Kevin Jones was starred Kevin Jones was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @Kevin Jones: This is becoming more and more like a survival horror movie. I wish all reality shows would eventually morph into that.
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
    Image of acrobatic rabbit acrobatic rabbit
    04/29/09

    In reply to Pack Your SPF-5 Billion: We're Going To The Sun!
    For some reason, 15 inches is a bit thin to me. And we're sending a seemingly flimsy metal satellite to it with only a 15 inch heat shield? I dunno... I don't know the chemistry of the material they use but it seems they would use like, 4 feet-thick of this stuff. I mean it's the frickin sun!
     Reply
    acrobatic rabbit was starred acrobatic rabbit was unstarred
    Image of crashedpc - Haifisch crashedpc - Haifisch
    04/29/09

    @acrobatic rabbit: I swear I read "Meat Satellite". Mmmm... charbroiled Sun Probe.
     Reply
    crashedpc - Haifisch was starred crashedpc - Haifisch was unstarred
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