4 ms·

A probe intended to study the Trojan asteroids takes off shortly

29 points by varyherb 5y ago

fernly 5y ago
Thank you for pointing this out. Non-paywalled info, plus even more & nicer graphics: https://nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/overview/index https://nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/overview/index http://lucy.swri.edu/ http://lucy.swri.edu/ don't miss http://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Targets.html http://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Targets.html
fideloper 5y ago
The orbital physics used is always impressive. I assume some velocity adjustment is done by the drone to intersect with the asteroids? Or are the orbits that precise?
- loa_in_ 5y ago
  They are very precise. Take note of this video, recreating one of the real missions that took place four decades (!) ago. It recreates the orbit in Kerbal Space Program with a mod called Principia that enables N-body simulation using original mission specs and calculations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3PCCJZzVvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3PCCJZzVvg
- onetwentythree 5y ago
  The spacecraft will make corrections with its onboard thrusters over the course of the mission.
vmception 5y ago
Feels like there should be some good open source tools by now to plot optimal orbital paths and speed and slowing down.
wgyn 5y ago
How feasible is it to build/launch your own probe? A la backyard astronomy.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
lmilcin 5y ago
The path of this probe to get those encounters looks like magic. How do they find these?
- lmilcin 5y ago
  Now I know. Thanks, Scott Manley! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbwSSdtWUNE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbwSSdtWUNE
elihu 5y ago
It seems kind of crazy that they would visit the Greeks, then do another flyby of Earth in order to visit the Trojans. I wonder what the cost-benefit analysis was of doing that versus just sending separate probes to each of those (which presumably would need a lot less fuel)? Is this one of those things where this really is the best and cheapest option and my intuition of orbital mechanics is just wrong?
- wiml 5y ago
  The flybys provide course changes for very little fuel, including pretty significant velocity boosts. It's not uncommon for a probe to spend a while ping-ponging around the inner system just to get enough speed to reach the outer planets. I doubt the probe has a whole lot of delta-v left once it leaves Earth the first time, probably just enough for course corrections so it can hit the flybys precisely.
  - hinkley 5y ago
    What ever happened to the interplanetary highway idea?

29 points by varyherb 5y ago

Thank you for pointing this out. Non-paywalled info, plus even more & nicer graphics: https://nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/overview/index https://nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/overview/index http://lucy.swri.edu/ http://lucy.swri.edu/ don't miss http://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Targets.html http://lucy.swri.edu/mission/Targets.html

fideloper 5y ago

The orbital physics used is always impressive. I assume some velocity adjustment is done by the drone to intersect with the asteroids? Or are the orbits that precise?

loa_in_ 5y ago
They are very precise. Take note of this video, recreating one of the real missions that took place four decades (!) ago. It recreates the orbit in Kerbal Space Program with a mod called Principia that enables N-body simulation using original mission specs and calculations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3PCCJZzVvg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3PCCJZzVvg
onetwentythree 5y ago
The spacecraft will make corrections with its onboard thrusters over the course of the mission.

vmception 5y ago

Feels like there should be some good open source tools by now to plot optimal orbital paths and speed and slowing down.

wgyn 5y ago

How feasible is it to build/launch your own probe? A la backyard astronomy.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

lmilcin 5y ago

The path of this probe to get those encounters looks like magic. How do they find these?

lmilcin 5y ago
Now I know. Thanks, Scott Manley! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbwSSdtWUNE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbwSSdtWUNE

elihu 5y ago

It seems kind of crazy that they would visit the Greeks, then do another flyby of Earth in order to visit the Trojans. I wonder what the cost-benefit analysis was of doing that versus just sending separate probes to each of those (which presumably would need a lot less fuel)? Is this one of those things where this really is the best and cheapest option and my intuition of orbital mechanics is just wrong?

wiml 5y ago
The flybys provide course changes for very little fuel, including pretty significant velocity boosts. It's not uncommon for a probe to spend a while ping-ponging around the inner system just to get enough speed to reach the outer planets. I doubt the probe has a whole lot of delta-v left once it leaves Earth the first time, probably just enough for course corrections so it can hit the flybys precisely.
- hinkley 5y ago
  What ever happened to the interplanetary highway idea?