New Horizons I (and II!) Mission Update Thread

[Leovinus]

Did NH take any pictures of Earth and/or Moon as it left the area? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[henryhallam]

I don't know, but they were "outta here" pretty quickly, maybe there wasn't time to get everything checked out and start running the cameras?

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Don't quote me, but I think course corrections were the first order of business ... well that and spinning down NH to it's correct rotation.<br /><br />If I recall the press conference correctly, I didn't think the instrument suite was going to be commissioned until they got relatively close to the Jupiter fly-by? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Given that they'll reach Jupiter in only a year, that's very likely. Full commissioning can take months. Spacecraft which have photographed the Earth and/or Moon during their departure generally do so as a part of the commissioning process. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Hey Ben, I see you made APOD today. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />APOD for Jan 24, 2006: New Horizons Launches to Pluto <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

Thanks for noticing, pretty cool! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[arkady]

Yay, well deserved. Wonderful picture. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "<font color="#0000ff"><em>The choice is the Universe, or nothing</em> ... </font>" - H.G Wells </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Again, I must draw everyone's attention to the latest PI's perspective by Alan Stern, filled with earlier technical facts about the mission<br /><br />READ HERE<br /><br />Facts include:<br /> - The trip will take precisely 3,462.7 days.<br /> - Science operations will begin about 150 days before the spacecraft reaches Pluto<br /> - In the days since launch, NH has been conducting subsystems checkout, and trajectory corrections for Jupiter aim point<br /> - Spin down from 68RPM to 5RPM is complete<br /> - Due to the extremely accurate launch, a correction of only 18m/s is required for the Jupiter slingshot, they had made provision for discrepancies 5 to 10 times that size. This means more propellant saved for extended mission use.<br /> - NH will pass the orbit of Mars on April 8 (<i>less than 3 months!)</i><br /> - Closest approach to Jupiter will occur at approximately 6 hours UTC on Feb. 28, 2007.<br /><br />More amazing info and pics in the full article.<br /><br />And congrats Ben for making APOD! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[scottb50]

Are we going to get pictures of Jupiter? Might even help fine tune the system for Pluto. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

My impression was that NH will be exercising all of its instrumental muscle during the Jupiter fly-by for calibration purposes at the very least. I can't see why they wouldn't take the opportunity to gather as much data as possible while they're there. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

As far as I know, the NH team will try to do as much science as possible during the Jupiter flyby including imaging. Here is an old article on Jupiter flyby planning from SWRI:<br /><br />http://www.swri.org/9what/releases/2003/jest.htm<br /><br />In his last PI's perspective Alan Stern states: <i>"We're beginning to think seriously now about specific planning for Jupiter, and I will have more to say about that soon....."</i> so I expect there will be updated specific info. released soon. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

From this article:<br /><br /><i>"We will be the eighth mission to Jupiter," Stern said. "One of the dirty little secrets of New Horizons is we'll be returning more bits (of data) from Jupiter than from Pluto because we have much greater bandwidth. ... We have a wide variety of experiments planned to test out our instruments, but also to fill in the gaps and to answer some of the questions the Galileo mission left us with."</i><br /><br />Alen Stern has mentioned this "dirty little secret" several times so maybe it won't be so secret by the time New Horizons reaches Jupiter. They may get some good science from Jupiter and its moons, but I get the imperession from what I've read that there won't be any pictures to outdo what has already been seen on previous missions to Jupiter.<br /><br />Edit: I could be happily surprised though!<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

From The Planetary Society Blog by Emily Lakdawalla:<br /><br /><i>"Date (2007) Range (km) Event <br />Feb 28 02:00 2,957,815 Europa closest approach <br />Feb 28 05:00 2,304,575 Jupiter closest approach <br />Feb 28 06:00 3,029,556 Ganymede closest approach <br />Feb 28 06:30 4,153,289 Callisto closest approach <br />Feb 28 22:00 2,260,221 Io closest approach <br /><br />Those distances aren't very close, but since it's a fast flyby mission, New Horizons' instruments are specifically designed to be able to do very good science from very long range, so I am really looking forward to the images and data that will result from this encounter."</i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

From http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/01/19/pluto.mission/<br /><i>"New Horizons will reach a speed of about 47,000 mph (75,600 kph), more than 10 times faster than a speeding bullet."</i><br /><br />If my calculations are correct, At 75,600 kph, New horizons will be about 3,000,000 km from pluto 48 hours before closest approach. So its observations of the moons of Jupiter could give us an indication of what to expect two days out from Pluto. So hopefuly the images of Jupiter's moons <b>will</b> be pretty good. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Philotas]

I`m pretty sure I read somewhere that NH will return even better images than those of Cassini, and thus take the best images of Jupiter so far. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

New Horizons will have better sunlight at Jupiter so it's images of the jovian moons may be better than those taken two days out from pluto, even though the distance is the same. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[lampblack]

I wonder if anyone has specifically compared the type and quality of data expected from New Horizons' Jupiter flyby with what was obtained from Jupiter during each of the two Voyager flybys?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[comga]

" Did NH take any pictures of Earth and/or Moon as it left the area? "<br /><br />No. The cameras (LORRI & Ralph) will not be turned on for quite some time. However, they will be running both for diagnostics soon.<br />

 

[Leovinus]

As I understand it: NH is taking a very wide swing by Jupiter to avoid the heavy radiation. This allowed them to reduce the amount of radiation shielding and use the available weight allowance saved to pack in more science payload. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Does the wider trajectory help with the gravity assist in terms of a greater additional velocity imparted on NH?<br /><br />Is the velocity of NH at the primary destination (Pluto) the over-riding consideration when mapping out the route to get there? I assume they have to strike a balance between arriving at the right time, yet arriving with sufficient speed that the mission doesn't take forever, but not so much speed that the science is compromised by travelling too quickly through the Plutonian system?<br /><br />Or, is it simply a case of pedal to the metal, whatever speed can be picked up between launch and destination is gratefully received? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Is the velocity of NH at the primary destination (Pluto) the over-riding consideration..."</font><br /><br />Nothing can override Jupiter's high radiation. It's a killer. It must be respected. But if radiation was not a consideration, I don't know if getting closer would be any advantage to the Pluto mission. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[henryhallam]

Can I suggest unstickying this thread perhaps until shortly before Jupiter encounter?

 

[Leovinus]

Actually, I was hoping to leave it sticky until the Pluto encounter. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[henryhallam]

Your call <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[jmilsom]

As many may know New Horizons successfully performed its first post-launch manouvres on Jan 28 and Jan 30 respectively. <br /><br />Talk about accuracy! As Alan Stern points out in his latest PIs perspective (a must read), the launch was so accurate a correction of only about 40 miles / hour was needed for a 36,254 mile per hour launch! The corrections were performed by firing the two hydrazine-fuel thrusters on the spacecrafts lower deck - and have already reduced the error in New Horizons trajectory by a factor of 20. <br /><br />The spacecraft will now be tracked for couple of weeks with a third post launch burn scheduled for February 15. This will be the smallest burn to correct the 4% residuals left from the first two manouvres. <br /><br />More technical details in Alan Stern's PI's perspective.<br /><br />A NASA press release here.<br /><br />Two new features on the mission website:<br /><br />Where is New Horizons now? - shows current position and trajectory displays &<br />Passing the planets - shows where each planet was when New Horizons crossed its orbit.<br /><br />Dates to remember: <font color="orange">February 4, 2006 - 100th anniversary of Clyde Tombaugh's birth</font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>