Author Topic: The International Cometary Explorer is returning to the Earth-moon neighbourhood  (Read 1472 times)

Offline AJA

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This article by Emily Lakdawalla mentions that the BEO probe launched in 1973 and found still going strong - only 1 of 12 scientific instruments having failed - in 2008. It's coming back now (Lunar zone of influence), and has 150 m/s del-v which will offer a re-tasking to undertake another (would be its third) Mission of Opportunity.


While that's interesting in itself, what is also spectacular is the modus operandi they're considering with respect to funding.


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One interesting way that ICE advocates are talking about keeping costs low is to make spacecraft operation a student effort.
.....
By emphasizing students in the mission operations roles, LASP is able to carry out mission functions in an extraordinarily effective way. Moreover, the mission operation using students is a highly productive way to educate and train the next generation of young engineers, scientists and managers.



Btw: a related article from 2008 had this gem. :D


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Farquhar said that in a meeting held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory about six months ago, they were discussing ICE, and it was revealed that the fellow who was supposed to have instructed ICE to turn off its radio transmitters during the last communications session maybe had not done so. He was right; ICE was ready and waiting to communicate with Earth.


(Wiki says that NASA ordered everything to be shut down except for the carrier signal, but I like the "Space Cowboy" picture painted above :D )
« Last Edit: 09/19/2013 11:06 am by AJA »

Offline kevin-rf

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Wow, I remember as a kid ICE visiting Comet Giacobini-Zinner. It was part of a slew of 80's comet probes during the Halley's return. Energizer bunny indeed!

btw. I think it was launched in '78 not '73.
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