Does a Boomerang Work in Space?

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Testing a boomerang in space might look and sound trivial, but it’s an exciting physics experiment that helps scientists to understand the dynamics of flight in microgravity. And now, one aspect of the “boomerang in space” question has finally been tested and answered. Japanese astronaut Takao Doi “threw a boomerang and saw it come back” during his free time on March 18 at the International Space Station, said a spokeswoman for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. “I was very surprised and moved to see that it flew the same way it does on Earth,” the 53-year-old Doi was quoted as saying. This test was done inside a pressurized module of the ISS. But, one big question about boomerangs in space remains:

Will it work in the vacuum of space?

No, says boomerang expert and designer Gary Broadbent. The boomerang that was used in the experiment on board the ISS was a design of Broadbent’s called a “Roomerang,” a small, tri-blade boomerang intended for use indoors in a small area or outdoors in light winds. It travels 5 to 8 feet before returning to the thrower.

Broadbent told Universe Today that a boomerang would not work in the vacuum of space. “You need air molecules to generate the lift to make the boomerang turn,” Broadbent said.

But he also added that in the pressurized environment of the ISS, “microgravity has very little effect on the boomerang flight. The boomerang is so versatile, it can be tuned to fly in a perfect path back to the thrower, with gyroscopic precession and angular momentum over-compensating the lack of gravity.”
space boomerang.  Image courtesy of Gary Broadbent

Doi decided on boomerang tests after he received a request from Yasuhiro Togai, a world boomerang champion who helped Doi train to throw a boomerang correctly. Broadbent said that he has part of the preparations as well, and has been to Florida 3 times in the past month, working on the experiment with Doi.

The wings of a boomerang are set at a slight tilt and they have an airfoil design (rounded on one side and flat on the other, just like an airplane wing), which gives the wing lift.

The uneven force caused by the difference in speed between the three wings (two wings on a regular boomerang) applies a constant force which forces the boomerang to turn. So, just as if you lean in one direction while riding a bicycle, and the bike turns in that direction, the boomerang is constantly turning with force in one direction, so that it travels in a circle and comes back to its starting point.

Even though Broadbent says boomerangs wouldn’t work in a vacuum, it still would be fun to test it. The only problem of doing this experiment out in space is that the boomerang would just become another piece of potentially dangerous space junk in Earth orbit.

A videotape of the experiment performed during the STS-123 mission will likely be released in the near future.

Original News Source: Physorg.com and email interview with Gary Broadbent. For more information on Broadbent’s Boomerang’s see Gary’s website

The Mars Curse

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Admittedly, Mars has drawn more space missions than the rest of the Solar System’s planets, but why have nearly two thirds of all Mars missions failed in some way? Is the “Galactic Ghoul” or the “Mars Triangle” real? Or is it a case of technological trial-and-error? In any case, the Mars Curse has been a matter of debate for many years, but recent missions to the Red Planet haven’t only reached their destination, they are surpassing our wildest expectations. Perhaps our luck is changing…

In 1964, NASA’s Mariner 3 was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In space, its solar panels failed to open and the batteries went flat. Now it’s orbiting the Sun, dead. In 1965, Russian controllers lost contact with Zond 2 after it lost one of its solar panels. It lifelessly floated past Mars in the August of that year, only 1,500 km away from the planet. In March and April, 1969, the twin probes in the Soviet Mars 1969 program both suffered launch failure, 1969A exploded minutes after launch and 1969B took a U-turn and crashed to earth. More recently, NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter crashed into the Red Planet in 1999 after an embarrassing measurement unit mix-up caused the satellite to enter the atmosphere too low. On Christmas 2003, the world waited for a signal from the UK Mars lander, Beagle 2, after it separated from ESA’s Mars Express. To this day, there’s been no word.

Looking over the past 48 years of Mars exploration, it makes for sad reading. A failed mission here, a “lost” mission there, with some unknowns thrown in for good measure. It would seem that mankind’s efforts to send robots to Mars have been thwarted by bad luck and strange mysteries. Is there some kind of Red Planet Triangle (much like the Bermuda Triangle), perhaps with its corners pointing to Mars, Phobos and Deimos? Is the Galactic Ghoul really out there devouring billions of dollars-worth of hardware?

The strange-looking DR 6 nebula as observed by the Spitzer telescope - well, it could be the face of the Galactic Ghoul… (credit: NASA)

The “Galactic Ghoul” has been mentioned jokingly by NASA scientists to describe the misfortune of space missions, particularly Mars missions. Looking at the statistics of failed missions, you can’t help but think that there are some strange forces at play. During NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission, there was a technical hitch as the airbags were deflated after the rover mission landed in 1998, prompting one of the rover scientists to mention that perhaps the Galactic Ghoul was beginning to rear its ugly head:

The great galactic ghoul had to get us somewhere, and apparently the ghoul has decided to pick on the rover.” – Donna Shirley, JPL’s Mars program manager and Sojourner’s designer, in an interview in 1997

Well, there are plenty of answers that explain the losses of these early forays to Mars, putting the Galactic Ghoul to one side for now.

Beginning with the very first manmade objects to land on the Martian surface, Mars 2 and Mars 3, Soviet Union-built Mars lander/orbiter missions in 1971. The lander from Mars 2 is famous for being the first ever robotic explorer on the surface of Mars, but it is also infamous for making the first manmade crater on the surface of Mars. The Mars 3 lander had more luck, it was able to make a soft landing and transmit a signal back to Earth… for 20 seconds. After that, the robot was silenced.

The first rover to land on Mars - Made in Russia (credit: Planetary Society)

Both landers had the first generation of Mars rovers on board; tethered to the landing craft, they would have had a range of 15 meters from the landing site. Alas, neither was used. It is thought that the Mars 3 lander was blown over by one of the worst dust storms observed on Mars.

To travel from Earth to Mars over a long seven months, separate from its orbiter, re-enter the Martian atmosphere and make a soft landing was a huge technological success in itself – only to get blown over by a dust storm is the ultimate example of “bad luck” in my books! Fortunately, both the Mars 2 and 3 orbiters completed their missions, relaying huge amounts of data back to Earth.

The ill-fated NASA Mars Observer before launch (credit: NASA)

This isn’t the only example where “bad luck” and “Mars mission” could fall into the same sentence. In 1993, NASA’s Mars Observer was only three days away from orbital insertion around Mars when it stopped transmitting. After a very long 337 day trip from Earth it is thought that on pressurizing the fuel tanks in preparation for its approach, the orbiters propulsion system started to leak monomethyl hydrazine and helium gas. The leakage caused the craft to spin out of control, switching its electronics into “safe” mode. There was to be no further communication from Mars Observer.

Human error also has a part to play in many of the problems with getting robots to the Red Planet. Probably the most glaring, and much hyped error was made during the development of NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter. In 1999, just before orbital insertion, a navigation error sent the satellite into an orbit 100 km lower than its intended 150 km altitude above the planet. This error was caused by one of the most expensive measurement incompatibilities in space exploration history. One of NASA’s subcontractors, Lockheed Martin, used Imperial units instead of NASA-specified metric units. This incompatibility in the design units culminated in a huge miscalculation in orbital altitude. The poor orbiter plummeted through the Martian atmosphere and burned up.

An artists impression of the Mars Climate Orbiter (credit: NASA)

Human error is not only restricted to NASA missions. The earlier Russian Phobos 1 mission in 1988 was lost through a software error. Neglecting a programming subroutine that should never have been used during space flight was accidentally activated. The subroutine was known about before the launch of Phobos 1, but engineers decided to leave it, repairing it would require the whole computer to be upgraded. Due to the tight schedule, the spaceship was launched. Although deemed “safe”, the software was activated and the probe was sent into a spin. With no lock on the Sun to fuel its solar panels, the satellite was lost.

The Russian Phobos 1 mission to probe Mars and moon Phobos (credit: NASA)

To date, 26 of the 43 missions to Mars (that’s a whopping 60%) have either failed or only been partially successful in the years since the first Marsnik 1 attempt by the Soviet Union in 1960. In total the USA/NASA has flown 20 missions, six were lost (70% success rate); the Soviet Union/Russian Federation flew 18, only two orbiters (Mars 2 and 3) were a success (11% success rate); the two ESA missions, Mars Express, and Rosetta (fly-by) were both a complete success; the single Japanese mission, Nozomi, in 1998 suffered complications en-route and never reached Mars; and the British lander, Beagle 2, famously went AWOL in 2003.

Despite the long list of failed missions, the vast majority of lost missions to Mars occurred during the early “pioneering” years of space exploration. Each mission failure was taken on board and used to improve the next and now we are entering an era where mission success is becoming the “norm”. NASA currently has two operational satellites around Mars, Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The European Mars Express is also in orbit.

The Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity continue to explore the Martian landscape as their mission keeps on getting extended.

Recent mission losses, such as the British Beagle 2, are inevitable when we look at how complex and challenging sending robotic explorers into the unknown. There will always be a degree of human error, technology failure and a decent helping of bad fortune, but we seem to be learning from our mistakes and moving forward. There definitely seems to be an improving trend toward mission success over mission failure.

Perhaps, with technological advancement and a little bit of luck, we are overcoming the Mars Curse and keeping the Galactic Ghoul at bay as we gradually gain a strong foothold on a planet we hope to colonize in the not-so-distant future

ATV Jules Verne Reaches “Parking Orbit” 2000km from ISS

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Peering across 2000 km of space, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), “Jules Verne”, leads the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS will now be a speck on the ATV’s horizon, but only hours earlier, it completed a fly-by 30 km underneath, giving the station and space shuttle Endeavour crew a look of the precious cargo shipment. Jules Verne will now sit and wait in “parking orbit” until the coast is clear for the ATV to dock early next month…

In an ultimate fly-by, the Jules Verne shot past the ISS 30 km below its orbit. A few thruster blasts later and the robotic vehicle had reached its parking orbit, 2000 km in front of the ISS. A photo was apparently taken by the ISS’s robotic arm, but the zoom wasn’t powerful enough to get any detail of the craft as it passed.

The ATV must now wait for Endeavour to finish its mission before it can approach the station. Jules Verne has passed all mission requirements so far, but it still has a few “practice runs” to carry out before it will be cleared for docking. On the 29th and 31st of March the vehicle will carry out two mock docking procedures in preparation for the real event on April 3rd.

The ATV successfully completed the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre on March 16th, so a fail-safe docking procedure is known to be working correctly.

The ATV’s second propulsion chain was used to complete today’s manoeuvres into parking orbit and all propulsion systems seem to be fully operational. Alberto Novelli, ESA’s Mission Director at the ATV Control Centre in Toulouse, France, added:

In doing the boosts we have tested all the pressure regulators and that worked perfectly fine. So as of today we have the proof that the propulsion system as a whole, including all the redundancies, is working fine.” – Novelli.

So the excitement continues to build for Europe’s first fully automated ISS 20 tonne supply vehicle as it patiently awaits its turn to dock with the station.

Source: ESA

Astrium Unveils New Spaceship Plans (Video Simulation & Pictures)

Europe’s leading spacecraft manufacturer EADS Astrium, the builders of the Ariane rocket (that launches many of Europe’s space missions), has announced plans to mass produce the next generation of space planes. Developing the design of a single-stage “rocket plane”, the company believes there will be a demand for 10 spacecraft per year when the space tourism idea “takes off”. Astrium won’t be running tourist trips themselves; they will simply supply the hardware to space tourism companies predicting the industry will progress along the same lines of a classical aeronautical business model. Astrium has even released an excellent and inspiring (and realistic!) promotional video simulation of the spacecraft launch and view of space…

The Astrium Jet takes off like a conventional aircraft, artists impression (credit: Astrium/Marc Newson Ltd.)
Astrium has big plans. As space tourism companies begin to emerge, like Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the technology capable of taking tourists above 100 km into the threshold of space is developing at an accelerated rate.

At first glance, the new Astrium concept looks just like a conventional jet, but this aircraft is different. For the first part of the journey high into Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft uses conventional jets (that require oxygen to function). At about 12 km, the jets will be rendered useless as atmospheric oxygen begins to thin out. At this point rocket engines, supplied by onboard tanks of oxygen and methane, will rumble into operation blasting the craft vertically into space at high velocity. The spacecraft will have covered 60 km in 80 seconds and will have enough momentum to continue into space, breaching the 100 km “lower limit” of space.

The Astrium rocket blasts the craft from 12km to 100km into space - artist impression (credit: Astrium/Marc Newson)

Watch the Astrium simulation of a trip on board the spacecraft.

Astrium forecasts a healthy market for their space planes, and although it won’t be in the same league as Boeing or Airbus, it will be a big step for space tourism.

One of the big players in the space tourism market will be Virgin Galactic. Virgin’s business plan is to sell tourist flights as well as develop and maintain their own spacecraft (by partnering with Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites). Astrium’s plans are a lot simpler. They will manufacture the space planes and sell them to space tourism companies. Assuming a similar pattern to classical aerospace business models, there could be many tourist carriers using the same Astrium-class spacecraft.

It will develop towards a classical aeronautical business model. Someone will build the planes; somebody will operate them; somebody will sell the tickets; somebody will provide the accommodation – like any tourism.” – Robert Laine, chief technical officer (CTO) of EADS (Astrium)

The Astrium craft in space - artist impression (credit: Astrium/Marc Newson)

Speaking in London at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, delivering the 99th Kelvin Lecture, Robert Laine, CTO of EADS (Astrium), outlined Astrium’s plan for the future. According to Laine, Astrium’s new space plane is developing quickly, and the aerodynamic structure is undergoing final wind tunnel tests. The Romeo rocket engine has been successful in advanced tests, and has run for 31 seconds. To provide the craft with enough boost to leave the Earth’s atmosphere, it will need to burn for 80 seconds. The oxygen-methane fuel engine will give the spacecraft a high enough velocity (1 km/s) to exit the atmosphere.

Weightlessness inside the Astrium spaceship - artist impression (credit: Astrium/Marc Newson)

About 50% of the starting mass of the plane will be fuel. The preliminary design will have enough room for five people – four tourists, one pilot.

Ultimately the Astrium design is hoped to have a lifetime of 10 years and will be easy to maintain. What makes this design even more interesting is its conventional take-off and landing, plus there is no requirement for a launch vehicle. The craft could be used in conventional airports, but Astrium believes custom-made spaceports will be a better solution to avoid busy air traffic. Laine believes that the Astrium spacecraft can be fully operational within five years of a financing deal being signed.

The spacecraft begins its descent to Earth (credit: Astrium/Marc Newson)

Although weightlessness is only likely to be three minutes long, the two hour round trip will certainly be exhilarating. The three-G acceleration as the rocket engines kick in will be worth the trip alone!

Keep an eye on Astrium, they may be a close second to manufacturing a space tourist craft after Richard Branson…

Source: BBC

Space Junk, Toxic Fuel Rains Down on Siberian Region

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People from the normally quiet and picturesque republic of Altai, Siberia keep their eyes on the sky when a launch occurs from the nearby Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan. This region is regularly littered with debris and toxic fuel from space launches, as Altai lies along the flight path of rocket launches to space. Unlike rockets launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which shed excess stages into the Atlantic Ocean, sections from rockets launched from Baikonur crash back on land, usually landing in the Altai region of the Kazakh steppe.

Two incidents of falling debris in the past two weeks prompted farmers to file claims against the Russian space agency for damages. Four horses were reportedly killed from traces of toxic fuel in found in space debris that landed on grazing land and another 4.5 meter chunk of metal landed very close to a house.

According to the Moscow Times, the Russian Federal Space Agency and Altai authorities have designated a strip of land where rocket debris is supposed to fall. People who live in the zone are given at least 24 hours’ notice of falling debris. Only those outside the zone are entitled to any compensation for damage caused by the launches.

The two recent incidents both occurred outside the zone, an official said.

In 2007, 27 people in the Ust-Kansky region were hospitalized with cancer-related illnesses they said were linked to contamination from falling debris. Also, in September 2007, a Proton-M rocket carrying a Japanese communications satellite malfunctioned around two minutes after takeoff, crashing near another Kazakh city, Zhezkazgan. No one was injured in the incident, but Russia paid Kazakhstan more than $2 million in compensation, after admitting that the rocket had been filled with higher-than-permissible levels of toxic heptyl fuel.
Space Junk.  Image credit:  Jonas Bendiksen/Eurasianet.org
In cases where there is a rocket malfunction, the procedure is for ground control to destroy it, often spreading debris outside the expected area.
People from the region say that the Soviets thoroughly cleaned up debris from the discarded stages, but clean-up efforts have scaled back considerably since the Soviet Union fell. The pictures used here are from a 2002 photo essay by Norwegian photographer Jonas Bendiksen showing the large pieces of debris laying lying around the Altai region.

Original News Source: New York Times

Heavy ATV Must Learn to Apply the Brakes Before Docking with the ISS

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Although ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) will be approaching the International Space Station (ISS) at a rate slower than tortoise-pace, what would happen if the 20 tonne space truck didn’t slow down as it docks with the station? It wouldn’t be pretty. In all likelihood, the large mass of supplies and metal would cause significant structural damage to the ISS and could be life-threatening to the astronauts on board. To avoid a very big dent in the manned outpost, the ESA’s partners insist that the ATV carry out some practice runs of the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre (a.k.a. the “emergency brake”)…

The ATV “Jules Verne”, still sitting in an orbital holding pattern awaiting the departure of Space Shuttle Endeavour from the ISS, still must prove its robotic worth. The unmanned supply vehicle is the most advanced spaceship the ESA has ever launched into space and it appears to be performing well. Recent engine problems were quickly and neatly solved and the re-supply mission of the ISS appears to be progressing nicely.

Worked into the schedule of the ATV’s orbit of Earth are some practice manoeuvres – after all, the robot has a lot of time on its hands, a bit of activity should be welcomed.

First up is the spaceship equivalent of an emergency brake. The ATV project will have never been allowed near the space station without an emergency procedure should there be a problem during docking. Although the relative speed between the station and approaching ATV will be exceedingly slow, the orbital velocity of both will be approximately 27,000 km/h, so any unforeseen collision or misalignment could be highly dangerous.

So, the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre will be carried out on Friday, before the ATV is anywhere close to the station to make sure the operation is successful at preventing a mock collision.

The ATV carries countless failsafe measures; critically the robot runs three parallel flight-control computers with an independent computer overseeing them. If something should go wrong, the flight-control computers can be overridden and an avoidance manoeuvre enacted. Also, mission control in Toulouse, France can manually initiate the Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre and so can the ISS astronauts inside the docking module watching events as they unfold. A big red button has even been installed in the Russian Zvezda module to raise the alarm and force the ATV to stop and reverse at 5 km/h.

Source: BBC

The astronauts do it by hitting a big red button on a panel positioned in the Russian Zvezda module.

Genesis Scientists Finally Have Some Luck: Clues to Oxygen Content of Solar Wind

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As the parachute failed on re-entry, a man hanging out of a helicopter wielding a big hook didn’t have chance to grab the falling object. Instead, it entered the atmosphere and thudded into the crusty layer of sand in the Utah Desert. This isn’t some Monty Python sketch, it was the demise of the Genesis sample return probe as the descent mechanism failed to release its parachutes on September 8th 2004. Hope to analyze any of the pristine samples of the Sun’s atmosphere quickly dissipated as scientists realized the precious cargo was likely destroyed and contaminated. But now, with a bit of luck and a lot of patience, mission scientists have recovered some samples from the wreckage and hope most of the Genesis mission goals will be accomplished regardless…

Launched from Earth on August 8th 2001, the Genesis spacecraft was sent on its way to the Earth-Sun First Lagrangian (L1) point to collect solar wind particles in the aim of understanding our Sun and solar system development. All was going very smoothly for this Discovery-class NASA mission (consisting of a spacecraft and sample return probe piggybacking) and the probe collected solar wind particles from December 2001 to April 2004 by exposing an array of sample collectors.

Task accomplished, the spacecraft returned toward Earth and the sample return probe separated from the Genesis “bus”. The probe fell through the atmosphere to begin its parachute deployment. It should have deployed the parachute as sensors detected a sudden deceleration as the Earth’s atmosphere thickened. But due to a technical fault, this didn’t happen. The parachute should have allowed the probe to glide slowly through the atmosphere, and using a unique helicopter capture technique (guy with a hook hanging out of a helicopter swooping down to collect the probe mid-glide), there would be very little impact the probe would experience. The smaller the force of impact, the better the chance of retrieving the very delicate solar wind particles.

But to their horror, Genesis scientists could only watch as the 600lb sample return probe thudded into the Utah desert at 193 miles per hour.

Surprisingly, the probe wasn’t totally destroyed and much of the contents were protected on impact as the soft mud and sand of the desert lessened the blow. Also, the collector arrays allowed solar wind particles to be deeply embedded within the material, keeping them clear of any terrestrial material that may have contaminated the samples as the probe crashed. Still, the outlook looked bleak for any analysis of the samples the $264 million mission hoped to bring back in one piece.

Fortunately, the Genesis mission was lucky – there are enough samples left uncontaminated by terrestrial debris and these tiny solar particles are beginning to help scientists understand the particles existing in the ultimate clean room: interplanetary space. Not only that, these particles hold the key to the development of our solar system (hence the “Genesis” mission name) and provide clues to the development of stars, nebulae and planets in other systems.

One would not normally characterise the Genesis mission as being lucky, but in this case we were.” – Kevin McKeegan, UCLA

Of particular interest will be the measurement of the primordial form of oxygen as it is emitted from the Sun in the solar wind. If we can measure the quantities of oxygen isotopes in the solar wind, we will have a starting point from which other oxygen isotopes are formed from. The Earth, Moon and meteorites have vastly differing quantities of oxygen-16, oxygen-17 and oxygen-18. Why this is the case is a mystery to scientists. Using the Genesis data as a foundation to this work will help us understand how the oxygen isotopes evolved so differently in different parts of the solar system.

Source: BBC

South Korean Astronauts Switched After Rule Infraction

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When it comes to following space agency rules, Russia stands firm. The man who was going to be the first South Korean in space has now been grounded for violating Russian security protocol and will be replaced by a female biotechnology engineer, the South Korean science ministry said on Monday. Ko San, 31, was dropped from the April 2008 flight to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He is now the backup for the mission after he removed sensitive material from a Russian space training center. Ko, a technology researcher is being replaced by Yi So-yeon, 29, who is finishing her doctorate in bioengineering.

“The Russians emphasized the importance of abiding by the rules, as even small mistakes can bring about grave consequences in space,” a South Koren official said at a news conference, adding Ko appeared to have made innocent mistakes.

The Russian authorities said Ko took a book out of the center without permission and sent it to his home in South Korea in September. Ko later returned the book, explaining he accidently sent it home together with other personal belongings.

In February, Ko again violated regulations by getting a book from the center through a Russian colleague, and it was material he was not supposed to read. Officials did not give details about the book’s contents, but South Korean officials portrayed both of his infractions as minor.

“The Russian space agency has stressed that a minor mistake and disobedience can cause serious consequences,” a south Korean official told reporters.

Ko will remain at the Russian space center and continue training. The official did not say if Ko would possibly go to space on a future flight.

Yi, 29, will work aboard the International Space Station for about 10 days with three other cosmonauts as well as American station commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Garrett Reisman. Yi will conduct scientific experiments, according to a ministry statement.

The mission will make South Korea the world’s 35th country and Asia’s sixth to send an astronaut into space.

The two South Koreans were selected from a list of more than 36,000 candidates.

Original News Source: Reuters, AP

Development Problems May Delay Mars Science Laboratory Mission Until 2011

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NASA’s over budget Mars Science Laboratory mission, scheduled for a 2009 launch, may be delayed due to problems with the atmospheric re-entry shield design. A new shield will cost up to $30 million, adding to the $1.8 billion price tag, $165 million more than planned. The mission uses innovative landing technologies and is powered by a mini-nuclear reactor, giving it the ability to travel faster and carry a bigger payload over the Martian terrain. This new setback may postpone the launch until 2011.

As the most advanced part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, the Mars Science Laboratory will be the most ambitious mission yet. Powered by a nuclear reactor, the large rover (measuring 9-foot long) will have a greater range and will be able to carry out a massive range of experiments on the planets surface. Complementing missions such as the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity, still making history as the longest ever Mars rover mission) and Phoenix (scheduled to arrive on May 25th this year), The Mars Science Laboratory will continue to see whether Mars might be able to sustain microbial life, take samples and analyse rocks plus provide us with detailed information about the landscape, atmosphere and whether water exists in large quantities. This is all in preparation of future manned exploration of the Red Planet.

Due to the adventurous nature of the project, there have been some setbacks and over-spending. The most recent problem focuses on the heat shield protecting the lander from extreme heat as it enters the atmosphere. The original design uses a similar shield to the one that protects the Shuttle’s external fuel tanks, but in tests engineers found that it could suffer catastrophic damage. Now, NASA has switched to a stronger cocoon-like shield similar to the one that protected the Stardust mission returning comet samples to Earth in 2006. But development and construction isn’t cheap, setting NASA back another $30 million.

It kind of interrupts what has been an incredibly successful sequence of missions.” – John Mustard, Brown University Geologist and head of an advisory group giving scientific input on future Mars projects.

Many scientists believe that such ambitious projects will always stumble across unforeseen problems and expenses, after all, space agencies such as NASA are doing something extraordinary, spearheading mankind’s exploration of space. This is frustrating however, as the Mars Exploration Program has surpassed all expectations so far and it appears that the Mars Science Lab is slowing down progress, prompting worries that costs will soar should the launch date be postponed any longer.

Source: Physorg

NASA and ESA Orbiters Join Forces to Prepare for Phoenix Arrival on May 25th, 2008

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When the Phoenix lander hits the Martian atmosphere at over 20,000 km/h, at least it will feel safe in the knowledge that it has three buddies looking out for it. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey are already preparing for Phoenix’s arrival, and now ESA’s Mars Express has been asked to assist in watching the lander’s 13-minute descent.

The Phoenix Mars Mission will land on the Red Planet on May 25th of this year to search for evidence of life on Mars and seek out some good regions for future manned settlements. However, before it can begin its work, Phoenix must dive through the Martian atmosphere at high speed and complete a 13-minute entry, decent and landing (EDL phase). This is a critical part of any planetary lander mission. As highlighted by the British Beagle 2 lander when it separated from Mars Express in 2004, nobody should be complacent about atmospheric reentry.

Flight controllers had already begun adjusting Mars Express’ phase in November last year to optimize its orbit so it can get the best possible view of Phoenix’s entry. Orbital adjustments already had to be made, so NASA’s request did not cost too much in additional fuel.

Using instrumentation intended to track the descent of the ill-fated Beagle 2, Mars Express’ adopted lander will be tracked by the Mars Express Lander Communications system (MELACOM). Mars Express will perform a fast (three-times faster than normal operations) turn on one axis to follow Phoenix flying past and down to Mars. Mars Express will be an essential backup system to NASA’s orbiters, allowing NASA to confirm the correct measurements of speed and trajectory of Phoenix.

Having already been tested, ESA scientists are confident Mars Express will perform excellently:

Last year, we practised relaying commands from NASA to Mars Express and then down to the surface, using NASA’s Mars Rovers as stand-in for Phoenix. It worked fine.” – Michel Denis, Mars Express Spacecraft Operations Manager.

Either way, the 13-minutes from entry to landing will be nerve-wracking for everyone involved, but it’s good to know the NASA and ESA missions already in orbit around Mars will be able to give a helping hand to the Mars rookie.

Source: ESA