Solar Probe Plus

Terryl

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Messages
3,246
Reaction score
1,932
Points
113
Age
82
My Satellite Setup
OpenBox X5 on a 1 meter motorized dish.
And now a 10 foot "C" band dish.

Custom built PC
My Location
Deep in the Boonies in the central Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
The thing that amazed me is that it takes more energy to force a probe towards the sun than it does to send probe into the outer reaches of the solar system. Celestial mechanics, eh!
Solar wind, it has a big effect on satellites and space craft.
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
Not just that. It's necessary to decelerate the craft from orbiting the sun so that it can spiral inwards and it's this that needs loads of power.

For both outward and inward trajectories the amount of fuel needed can be reduced with a gravity assist given by a close encounter with a planet or moon. The Solar Probe is using quite a few of these.
 

Terryl

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Messages
3,246
Reaction score
1,932
Points
113
Age
82
My Satellite Setup
OpenBox X5 on a 1 meter motorized dish.
And now a 10 foot "C" band dish.

Custom built PC
My Location
Deep in the Boonies in the central Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
Also the orbits have to be done just right or the Sun will suck it up like a fleck of dust in a Hoover.

I let my computer do the orbits when close in to any Sun, it's too hard to think about vectors when your half way to the dark side.
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Seven days and counting

 

william-1

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
12,180
Reaction score
12,266
Points
113
Location
Epping Forest
My Satellite Setup
OP Gibertini 100 XP+ Inverto Black Ultra Lnb
Superior Dark Motor (160° max)
(50 east to 45 west)
Octagon SX88+Optima (A/B switch) Edision primo IP S2

Raven 88cm Mesh Dish + IBU Twin output
Stab100 H to H (120° max)
(53 east to 45 west)
Octagon SX88+ Ultra HD (A/B switch) Golden Interstar Alpha_X
My Location
Epping Forest Essex
Launch is now on hold T minus 4 minutes,
NASA tv HD @ 7 east 11053 H 4937 id=ZZGVA1 Enc2
NASA tv HD @ 13 east 11373 H 27500DSCN2852[1].JPG
 
Last edited:

william-1

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 2, 2005
Messages
12,180
Reaction score
12,266
Points
113
Location
Epping Forest
My Satellite Setup
OP Gibertini 100 XP+ Inverto Black Ultra Lnb
Superior Dark Motor (160° max)
(50 east to 45 west)
Octagon SX88+Optima (A/B switch) Edision primo IP S2

Raven 88cm Mesh Dish + IBU Twin output
Stab100 H to H (120° max)
(53 east to 45 west)
Octagon SX88+ Ultra HD (A/B switch) Golden Interstar Alpha_X
My Location
Epping Forest Essex
T minus 2 & counting now T minus 1m 55 holding.
Now back to T minus 4 & holding,

The launched has now been scrubbed as they have run out of time with the launch window,
Another attempt to launch Solar Probe Plus will be made in 24 hours.
 
Last edited:

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Scrubbed for tomorrow.
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,023
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
Why do they say "scrubbed"? That implies a degree of permanence to me. Surely it's been postponed!
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Why do they say "scrubbed"? That implies a degree of permanence to me. Surely it's been postponed!

A degree of permanence is certainly oxymoronic.

Scrubbed - informal
to cancel or abandon (something).

"the first two races had to be scrubbed because of blustery winds and rough seas"
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK

s-band

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Feb 7, 2016
Messages
1,186
Reaction score
1,843
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
1.5m IRTE PF, Octagon OSLO external Ref., TBS6983,
Various L, S, C, X & Ka bits. 1.2m S/X/Ku/Ka Prodelin on Az-El (being refurbished)
My Location
Essex
Last edited:

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Intermittent loss of telemetry now the craft has separated from the third stage. Was looking good up to now.
 

Terryl

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Messages
3,246
Reaction score
1,932
Points
113
Age
82
My Satellite Setup
OpenBox X5 on a 1 meter motorized dish.
And now a 10 foot "C" band dish.

Custom built PC
My Location
Deep in the Boonies in the central Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
I still say that they should have gone at night.
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Something I've been musing over for a week or two (Parker probe completed the first Venus flyby at the beginning of the month btw - no fanfare)

What are the time differences experienced by the craft when it is travelling at its fastest velocity, just short of 200kms/s, almost the same as the solar system orbiting our galaxy ?

I'm not actually sure if there are instruments dealing with the potential slowdown of the probes instruments as it moves closer to the sun over the next few years.

Then I saw this and put my thinking cap on

Parker Solar Probe passing extremely close to the Sun; what relativistic effects will it experience and how large will they be?
 

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,533
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
Top