So NASA, the next time you plan flagship missions, think about getting a telescope out to 550 - 1000 AU!
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=785How to do it? I believe nuclear electric propulsion would be up to the task. It could get a probe to cover that distance in twenty years of flight or so. Or a close flyby of the sun and then sailing on the solar wind. That may work as well.
Pardon my ignorance, but what does FOCAL stand for again? Is it an acronym?
So using the example of Kepler 22b, which is said to be 600 light years from Earth, could it be imaged using the FOCAL mission approach?Would there have to be a prolonged exposure time in order to image that planet?
Quote from: sanman on 12/10/2011 12:34 amSo using the example of Kepler 22b, which is said to be 600 light years from Earth, could it be imaged using the FOCAL mission approach?Would there have to be a prolonged exposure time in order to image that planet?The article seems to claim it could make pretty much any object appear to be a ‘mere‘ 550 au away. sounds like a huge gain but surely you still need an impressive telescope.I find this heartening just because it is one more interesting target we have yet to visit. We can just keep pushing the range of our robotic probes with each generation and there is always some new thing to make the extra range worthwhile.
But with an aperture to focal length ratio of about 65000 the intensity will be terrible,...
If the space telescope is out there at a distance of 550 AU from the Sun, then is it traveling in an orbital trajectory around the Sun?