Mohawk valley astronomical society
riding with a robot part 2, by carol higgins
Last month we covered some of the adventurers who bravely explored our world and the revolutionary change that began when our country and the Soviet Union launched satellites. Safely sending humans into space is difficult and expensive, and the farthest humans have traveled is the Moon. To explore other planets and moons, the next best option is to launch “intelligent” spacecraft equipped with sophisticated science instruments and cameras. This month, we’ll take a look at some robotic missions currently underway, starting at the heart of our solar system. It has long been the dream of many researchers to unlock the mysteries of the thousands of stars dotting the night sky. Our closest star is the Sun, and designing a spacecraft to withstand the immense heat and radiation is no small feat. But engineers took on the challenge, and the Parker Solar Probe was built to investigate the Sun’s corona and solar wind. Parker launched August 12, 2018, making its first close pass (15 million miles) in January 2019. Its highly elliptical and variable orbit takes it to Venus and back to the Sun for a brief close flyby. During its five-year mission, the spacecraft will capture valuable data and make a total of 24 passes. Its heat shield withstands temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit while keeping the shaded onboard instruments a balmy 85 degrees. At the end of the mission, Parker will be only 3.8 million miles above the surface and traveling
430,000 mph. Artist’s concept of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe observing the Sun. The European Space Agency (ESA) and Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribbenan Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched BepiColumbo on October 19, 2018, to planet Mercury. It won’t Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues to arrive until December 2025 because it is capture stunning high-resolution images and taking a complicated path to overcome the search for water and other resources for fuSun’s strong gravitational pull and to literalture missions to the red planet. Mars Odysly “catch up” to the fast-moving planet that sey arrived in 2001, and its thermal infrared Hanny’s Credit: NASA, ESA, W. Keel, Galaxy Zoo Team only takes 88 days to make a trip around the Voorwerp. data Image helped scientists discover underground Sun. The spacecraft carries two orbiters to reservoirs of water near the poles. examine the planet’s magnetic field, atmo And finally, there is Jupiter, where NAsphere, surface, and interior. SA’s Juno spacecraft is on a unique orbit Next is Venus, an inhospitable place over the poles. It arrived on July 4, 2016, to where lead will melt on its surface. JAXA investigate Jupiter’s massive and powerful launched Akatsuki in May 2010, but it sufmagnetic field, radiation belts, interior, and fered an engine problem and failed to enter complex cloud layers. Images taken by its orbit. The mission team eventually found a camera are available to the public to downway to gain control and reinvent the spaceload and process. craft’s mission. It began a new orbital path Current status information about the misin December 2015 and is returning images sions is available online through each space and data to help us learn about the planet’s agency if you would like to learn more. Next weather. month we’ll take a look at some landers and Mars has numerous visitors. ESA’s Exrovers, and spacecraft visiting asteroids to oMars Trace Gas Orbiter arrived in October take samples that will be returned to Earth. 2016 to study the atmosphere. Their Mars Wishing you clear skies! • Express also monitors the atmosphere and has been looking for subsurface water since Join MVAS Sat., February 29, 7-10pm 2003. The Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Mars Orbiter Mission for an evening of stargazing at (MOM) in 2013 to image and study the surBarton-Brown Observatory face. The rest are NASA missions. MAVEN arrived in 2014 to investigate why Mars 206 White St., Waterville changed from a place with surface water to The event is free. today’s desolate landscape. Since 2006, the
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