On the way to Pluto at last!

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 3:03 pm

Abdul Alhazred wrote:Update:

Pluto-bound spacecraft spots its target (MSNBC)

Nice photo. :lol:

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:28 am

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPers ... urrent.php

The Year Ahead

Turning now to 2007, our Jupiter encounter has just begun. In total the encounter spans six months, from January through June. In future columns, I'll provide many more details. I plan to write those at an increasing pace until we pass Jupiter at the very end of February.
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Over the next couple of weeks, PEPSSI and SWAP will continue to observe the interplanetary medium as we approach Jupiter, and Ralph and the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) will begin imaging the giant planet. If you're following closely on our Web site, you'll see us posting a New Horizons Jupiter "image of the week" beginning in mid-January.While this is all I want to say about our Jupiter encounter just now, I do want to tell you about our big picture plan for 2007.

Most of the first half of the year is, as you might imagine, focused on the Jupiter encounter. But that isn't all we'll do. We also have two opportunities for course correction maneuvers — one in mid-February and one in mid-May. We'll almost certainly execute a trajectory trim burn in May, as our post-Jupiter encounter work settles down; that maneuver is currently estimated to cost us about 2 meters per second (5 miles per hour) in fuel. We could delay this maneuver until the fall, but it would cost more fuel then, because we'd be letting differences caused by our actual (non-perfect) Jupiter encounter aim point build up longer. Whether we'll need the pre-encounter February burn is something we'll decide in mid-January. I'll keep you posted. So far, it looks like we can skip that maneuver.

After our Jupiter encounter, we'll also begin preparing for spacecraft hibernation, which will begin in July. I like to say that hibernation is the highway that will take us to Pluto. After all, we count on hibernation to both lower mission-operations costs and to reduce wear and tear on most spacecraft systems as we fly out to Pluto.

Read the entire article for all the latest. Looking forward to the Jupiter photos.

Nyarlathotep · Post by **Nyarlathotep** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:22 pm

Abdul Alhazred wrote:From Space Daily

One Year Down, Eight to Go, On The Road to Pluto

8)

Are the frozen carcasses of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby aboard?

izittrue · Post by **izittrue** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:33 pm

i see you have been watching grade-a movies again..
and dont forget dorothy lamour...if anyone belongs on pluto ...

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:47 pm

The latest images of Jupiter, updated as new pics come in.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/

Bearguin · Post by **Bearguin** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:19 pm

[whine]

Are we there yet???????

[/whine]

gnome · Post by **gnome** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:11 am

Don't make me turn this space probe around!

And you should have gone to the bathroom at Ganymede like I told you!

Kristopher · Post by **Kristopher** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:19 am

gnome wrote:Don't make me turn this space probe around!

And you should have gone to the bathroom at Ganymede like I told you!

But I didn't have to go then!!

Mulebear · Post by **Mulebear** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:16 am

Hey! I called shotgun!

DAAAAAAAAAAD! MOMMMMMM!

Doctor X · Post by **Doctor X** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:47 am

Would you look at where Uranus is NOW?!!

Just PULL OVER and ask for DIRECTIONS!!!

--J.D.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:30 am

A more detailed version of the Jupiter flyby trajectory has been added to the NH site. Also some nice color photos of Jupiter.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/mission/whereis_nh_jupiter.php

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:55 pm

Just 17 days until closest approach to Jupiter.

17 days! :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:41 pm

Abdul Alhazred wrote:
swellman wrote:The latest images of Jupiter, updated as new pics come in.

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/soc/
Thanks.

There's your orbs!

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:19 pm

Abdul Alhazred wrote:Another update on the Jupiter flyby from Space Daily

All Calm On Approach To Jupiter For Flyby

8)

I like this line from the postscript:

And just think, today [15 Feb] is the last day we could possibly have launched to Pluto on the Atlas 5. It would have been good to fly even at this late date, but it would have been a 13-plus-year slog with no Jupiter encounter along the way.

Longer mission without the Jupiter slingshot and nothing to observe until Pluto. Would have been a slow ride.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:17 am

Check out this chart.

Nice little boost.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:22 pm

Nice clear photo of Tvashtar's Plume erupting on Io.

<img src="http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/gallery/mission ... 030107.jpg" width=420>

This processed image provides the best view yet of the enormous 290-kilometer (180-mile) high plume from the volcano Tvashtar, in the 11 o'clock direction near Io's north pole. The plume was first seen by the Hubble Space Telescope two weeks ago and then by New Horizons on February 26; this image is clearer than the February 26 image because Io was closer to the spacecraft, the plume was more backlit by the Sun, and a longer exposure time (75 milliseconds versus 20 milliseconds) was used.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 9:11 pm

While NH will continue to observe Jupiter for some time, there is little on the mission I can get excited about until it reaches Pluto.

As always, this link shows the updated position of the spacecraft.

The NH site currently lists

Next up: Saturn

New Horizons' next checkpoint comes on June 8, 2008, when it passes the orbit of Saturn.

Projected Orbit Crossing Dates

Uranus: March 18, 2011
Neptune: August 24, 2014
Pluto: July 14, 2015

Of course, none of the outer planets will be anywhere near NH when it crosses their orbit until Pluto. So 8 more years of waiting.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

gnome · Post by **gnome** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:06 am

Abdul Alhazred wrote:
swellman wrote:Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
:Yippeee:

Ahem, sorry, the space probes gave up their smoking sections sometime in the 80s... didn't anyone tell you before you came on board?

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:04 pm

Abdul Alhazred wrote:<br>New Horizons at Io (NASA)

A gee-whiz pic taken out the window while zipping past. 8)

Composite picture, actually. The color data is from Earth-based telescopes, and has been mapped onto the surface to provide a context for the volcanic plume. Pretty realistic anyhow.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:32 am

Nice shot of Europa rising over Jupiter.

They are still downloading data from New Horizons.

More here.

Luke T. · Post by **Luke T.** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:56 pm

New Horizons is now 3770526490 kilometers away from Pluto!

Wait, New Horizons is now 3770525755 kilometers away from Pluto!

No, wait! New Horizons is now 3770525380 kilometers away from Pluto!

Sucker's moving!

Luke T. · Post by **Luke T.** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:56 pm

Awesome photos of the plume and of Europa rising. Mindblowing stuff.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:16 pm

New Horizons crosses the orbit of Saturn exactly 11 months from today!

New Horizons' next checkpoint comes on June 8, 2008, when it passes the orbit of Saturn.

(A cheap bump of my favorite thread.)

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:57 pm

swellman wrote:New Horizons crosses the orbit of Saturn exactly 11 months from today!

New Horizons' next checkpoint comes on June 8, 2008, when it passes the orbit of Saturn.

(A cheap bump of my favorite thread.)

That reminds me. Saturn is the furthest of mobile things known since antiquity. Did anybody make up a 29-year mystical cycle for it?

Schneibster · Post by **Schneibster** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:12 am

Doctor X wrote::HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:
:HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad:
:HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:
:HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad:
:HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:
:HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad:
:HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:
:HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad:
:HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:
:HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad:
:HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2:
:HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad: :HoppingMad2: :HoppingMad:

Woa . . . dude!

--J.D.

That gives me the spins.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:59 pm

October update:

Checking Out New Horizons

Since I last wrote here, at the start of August, New Horizons has already traveled another 100 million kilometers from the Sun, putting us more than 7.5 Astronomical Units out, roughly halfway between Jupiter and Saturn. By the middle of next year, we’ll be beyond Saturn’s orbit, where Cassini is. That will make New Horizons the farthest spacecraft on its way to or at its target.

Much more in the article for those interested.

swellman · Post by **swellman** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:15 am

More news on the status of the New Horizons in this month's update.

They are having some computer problems, though the situation seems under control.

...a cosmic ray or some other kind of charged particle caused our main computer to reboot. This is the fourth such computer reboot we have had in flight caused by space radiation bursts. Preflight predictions were for these events to be far more rare than this, and our engineering team is looking into why this is occurring more often than predicted. Fortunately, on the four occasions this occurred, the onboard spacecraft autonomy software performed as planned and recovered New Horizons safely.

Cosmic ray reboot. Very funky.

There are other computer problems described in the full article. Also some fancy diagrams of the Pluto system during closest approach of NH.

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:50 am

:P

Reality is what it is, and your second grade teacher will just have to come to grips with reality, same as the rest of us.

<img src=http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ZT4 ... /pluto.gif>

gnome · Post by **gnome** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:30 pm

Ok folks, we're about to cross Saturn's orbit... anyone need a pit stop, some twinkies and Coke, whatever?

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:34 pm

gnome wrote:Ok folks, we're about to cross Saturn's orbit... anyone need a pit stop, some twinkies and Coke, whatever?

Titan is a planet. :p

sparks · Post by **sparks** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:10 pm

I'm still waiting for some one to 'fess up on the mess in the Kuiper belt. You know who you are, and there'll be no dinner until it's cleaned up! :D

Titan: Nissan SUV
Pluto: Lovable yet retarded Disney cartoon character

Eos of the Eons · Post by **Eos of the Eons** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:37 am

Very cool. Science (astronomy) is so much more beautiful and fascinating than fantasy (astrology).

Eos of the Eons · Post by **Eos of the Eons** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:17 am

Does Phil say it's still a planet? I hate say that I forget... it was funny to watch him talk about it, I got so distracted by watching HIM that I forgot to listen to what he was saying...

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:53 am

Eos of the Eons wrote:Does Phil say it's still a planet? I hate say that I forget... it was funny to watch him talk about it, I got so distracted by watching HIM that I forgot to listen to what he was saying...

See, Bruce, that's how it's done.

Abdul is just looking for excuses to honk his own horn.

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:26 pm

Abdul Alhazred wrote:
DrMatt wrote:Abdul is just looking for excuses to honk his own horn.
Like I need an excuse? :P

You need a note signed by your opthalmologist. :p

Eos of the Eons · Post by **Eos of the Eons** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:02 am

DrMatt wrote:
Eos of the Eons wrote:Does Phil say it's still a planet? I hate say that I forget... it was funny to watch him talk about it, I got so distracted by watching HIM that I forgot to listen to what he was saying...
See, Bruce, that's how it's done.

That is how what is done? Where's Sam when I need her *looks around*

SamanthaMc · Post by **SamanthaMc** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:39 am

Eos of the Eons wrote:
DrMatt wrote:
Eos of the Eons wrote:Does Phil say it's still a planet? I hate say that I forget... it was funny to watch him talk about it, I got so distracted by watching HIM that I forgot to listen to what he was saying...
See, Bruce, that's how it's done.

That is how what is done? Where's Sam when I need her *looks around*

Here!

Okay, lemme think....Bruce....distracted by someone....Bruce is gay....that's how it's done.....forgot to listen................yeah, I got nothing. I even skimmed the entire thread. DrMatt has an unusual sense of humor, and he can hit them out of the park like no one else, but sometimes he loses me. This seems to be one of those times.

Good news is, at least you're not in the dark by yourself!

Eos of the Eons · Post by **Eos of the Eons** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 3:58 am

:lol: Thank you

SamanthaMc · Post by **SamanthaMc** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:26 am

Back on track....and you want to know where New Horizons is...I think it's just up the street a bit. It's a lot closer than on your map. It's a Baptist church. But I'm surprised you want to go there, Abdul...

DrMatt · Post by **DrMatt** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:26 pm

The way the trajectory curves somewhat helps me to visualize the 4-dimensional well that is the sun's gravity.