CFE - 30/8/2007 10:55 PMWith ESPA ruled out, it's becoming increasingly harder to justify the mission. Perhaps NASA will suggest flying it as a hitch-hiker on the first Ares V launch
CFE - 30/8/2007 9:55 PMWith ESPA ruled out, it's becoming increasingly harder to justify the mission. Perhaps NASA will suggest flying it as a hitch-hiker on the first Ares V launch
tnphysics - 30/8/2007 10:22 PMa) A Falcon 9 could launch it.b) Why not use Ion drive to go to L2?
Jim - 30/8/2007 9:00 PMQuoteCFE - 30/8/2007 10:55 PMWith ESPA ruled out, it's becoming increasingly harder to justify the mission. Perhaps NASA will suggest flying it as a hitch-hiker on the first Ares V launch First Ares V isn't LEO. Also that is more than 5 years aways
Phillip Huggan - 30/8/2007 5:11 PMThe mission was to observe earth's complete albedo for two years. Already built, but cancelled launch and operations. Mission was renamed DSCOVER: Deep Space Climate Observatory.
MKremer - 30/8/2007 11:58 PMQuotetnphysics - 30/8/2007 10:22 PMa) A Falcon 9 could launch it.b) Why not use Ion drive to go to L2?a) you absolutely positive about that? (especially since they haven't demonstrated a launch to LEO yet!)b) mass - big-time extra wattage needs (large solar panels); ion engine hardware; gas plumbing; gas valves; valve pyros and wiring; extra instrumentation and control computer (and backup) plus additional power controllers; temperature/valve/engine/gas volume/gas flow sensors and the necessary power and sensor wiring for all of them; gas tank and hardware; xenon gas mass itself; additional necessary wiring not described in the above(what sounds simple, really isn't)
tnphysics - 31/8/2007 10:35 PMa) I meant that if the Falcon 9 was built, it could launch Trianab) An ion drive is lighter than TLI and LOI propellant.
CessnaDriver - 1/9/2007 12:54 AMPolitics created it, politics grounded it, only politics can save it. And last I heard a million bucks a year to store it. Donate it to a museum and be done with it.