Off to Mars

[Analoguesat]

As AS mentioned last week, only 24 hours to go before the Mars window is shut.

_http://en.ria.ru/science/20111121/168876438.html

Not going to Mars in that case

 

[Vipersan]

Not going to Mars in that case

.........................

 

[Channel Hopper]

There's still ten hours or so.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Looks like the end for the Mars trip

_http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/21/window_closes_on_phobos_grunt/

 

[Vipersan]

Looks like the end for the Mars trip

_http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/21/window_closes_on_phobos_grunt/

All cried out CH ...no tears left now ...just a big empty feeling where the excitement and anticipation used to be.
VS

 

[Analoguesat]

All cried out CH ...no tears left now ...just a big empty feeling where the excitement and anticipation used to be.
VS

Reminds me of an ex gf

 

[Channel Hopper]

Contact established.


_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15850516

Better late than never I suppose

 

[Lazarus]

Must be a Black Ultra that they've fitted to the Perth groundstation dish.

 

[Vipersan]

Contact established.


_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15850516

Better late than never I suppose

You can bet mission control are giving it 100% ...
Far too expensive a project to give up on ...and too much work and inspiration to just write off without a fight ..
Fingers and toes crossed..
;)
VS

 

[sonnetpete]

Must be a Black Ultra that they've fitted to the Perth groundstation dish.

Nah, they've been inspired by those VS 'mad science' threads and have made extension panels with flattened Fosters cans.

 

[Vipersan]

Nah, they've been inspired by those VS 'mad science' threads and have made extension panels with flattened Fosters cans.

Hope they didn't waste the cans contents first ..

Naaa ...what am I saying ...they're Aussies ..

 

[Channel Hopper]

More tests today after analysis of the telemetry received on Tuesday

_http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/11/live-fobos-grunt-recovery-efforts-underway/

 

[Lazarus]

Fascinating stuff - let's hope they can recover some functionality and execute a worthwhile Mission.

 

[Channel Hopper]

There is a forum with comments within the link that gives an idea (in translated Russian ) as to what is going on.

From a rough translation

The telemetry is being decoded, and instructions to the craft to send the next data unencrypted. There is a pass over Australia every 5 hours or so where the engineers can receive data, and send new instructions out, though they have a window of between three and eight minutes depending on the angles. Not all passes will be useful for retrieval of data, even fewer for sending/reprogramming.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Now a second section of data has been received.

_http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/emerging-tech/2011/11/24/stricken-space-probe-phobos-grunt-sends-more-data-40094504/

This may take some time, the most important part now is to get a command acknowledged to nudge the craft into a slightly higher orbit, both to stop the decay into the atmosphere, and to prolong the window that communications can be sent and received.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Ah, a(nother) technical delay

_http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1111/25phobosgrunt/

Perhaps some new data after the weekend, and despite the setback, what the engineers have achieved so far is actually quite astounding, given the tracking speeds.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Apparently the second data stream received has been decoded by the Russian team, and they are to send some commands out on Monday afternoon, using the secondary antenna on the Perth dish.

 

[Lazarus]

I shall cross everything that can be crossed.

 

[Vipersan]

I shall cross everything that can be crossed.

As have I ...including a few bits n pieces that should _never_ be crossed ..
..Have to make a doctors appointment tomorrow to get 'em untangled..

 

[Analoguesat]

It seems that a low power uplink is what is required to communicate. In a spirit of hobby cooperation with the Russkies I offer to donate one of my old dishes to the operation. I'll rig a temporary mount up on a tyre so it can manually track the wayward beastie as it races across the skies

Now what the Russkie for "engage"