Author Topic: Water found on Mars  (Read 1956 times)

Offline Maverick

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #75 on: August 02, 2008, 12:58:43 PM »

 Currently we use solar sails to adjust for angular momentum only.

This is interesting. What spacecraft are currently using solar sails?
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Offline trax1

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #76 on: August 02, 2008, 01:03:09 PM »
What is also cool is that scientists are using shuttle to ISS and ISS missions to see how very long missions in space effect the human body, and how prolonged exposure to weightlessness can effect the human body (i.e. how it would effect humans on a trip to Mars).

I like the resistance bicycles on the space shuttles.  There has to be something else for upper body too.

Radio communications between Earth and Mars would be strange as well.  Radio waves travel at the speed of light.  On a moon mission there's not a lot to notice.  On a Mars mission there would definitely be some delay. 

I hope man makes it there someday.




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I believe the time delay from the Earth to Mars is around 20mins, so to ask a question & get a response is 40mins, make for some interesting driving skills for the guys who control the 2 rovers on Mars.

As it stands right now, NASA has plans to send a manned mission to Mars in 2030, but first in 2020 they are going back to the Moon to test out alot of the systems and gear they'll need to make a trip to Mars, which makes alot of sense because if we try something out on the Moon and it doesn't work, or goes wrong it's a short trip to send for help, when going to Mars there will be no sending for help.
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Offline Chalenge

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #77 on: August 02, 2008, 04:21:03 PM »
This is interesting. What spacecraft are currently using solar sails?

Mariner 10 and some communications satellites (geostationary) for starters. Cosmos 1 will be the first to use it as a primary steering mechanism.
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Offline Maverick

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #78 on: August 03, 2008, 01:50:40 PM »
Are you confusing solar panels for sails?
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Offline Chalenge

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #79 on: August 03, 2008, 03:11:16 PM »
No read it more closely. The solar panels have additional features allowing them to be used to catch the solar wind and make adjustments in position.
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Offline moot

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #80 on: August 03, 2008, 03:46:25 PM »
The undisclosed discovery I mentionned is getting blown out of proportion.  Some senior editor (Craig Covault) at AWST mag got the hype going. Apparently he was wrong in reporting that the nasa team had contacted/briefed a white house science advisor.
http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2008/08/02/phoenix-on-mars-life-message-from-meca/

Another good discovery that'll probably bite the dust thanks to misreporting.
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Offline Maverick

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #81 on: August 03, 2008, 06:36:35 PM »
No read it more closely. The solar panels have additional features allowing them to be used to catch the solar wind and make adjustments in position.

Link?

I was under the impression that the geosats maintained orientation by use of gyroscopes once properly placed into orbit by rocket burn and maneuvering rockets. This is the first I have heard of solar sails for satellites.
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Offline trax1

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #82 on: August 03, 2008, 07:12:22 PM »
As far as I can find, no solar sails have been used in space, coincidently NASA was testing solar sails out today, but the Falcon 1 rocket carrying the project known as NanoSail-D suffered a launch failure, it was to test the technology, so far all 3 Falcon 1 rockets have been unsuccessful.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2008, 07:14:31 PM by trax1 »
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Offline shakey6

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #83 on: August 03, 2008, 08:08:00 PM »
Anyone notice how we haven't been to The Moon, lately?

Offline Chalenge

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #84 on: August 03, 2008, 10:56:03 PM »
Sorry Maverick when I went looking I cant find much more than Wiki supporting it. The ariticle I read the other day was on the Eurostar E3000 and it mentioned the solar panel modifications were copied from Mariner 10 and would be used (has been used now) to help hold geostationary position. Wiki supports that but in looking just now I havent found evidence of it.

This is sometimes called 'plasma propulsion' or 'wave induced steering' also so you have to be vigilante in the material presented. Its not precisely the same thing as presented in theory as a large sail deployed to pull or push the vehicle but works under a similar principle. The principle in practice in this way has been proven sound and the full sail approach will be used soon (already should have been in orbit).

Cosmos 1 (a private project) was to be the first full solar sail but failed to reach orbit yet the primary entity behind it (Cosmos Studios) is doing all it can to fund another attempt ( http://www.space-travel.com/reports/New_Developments_On_The_Road_To_Cosmos_2_999.html ). With the failure of the NanoSail to make orbit it could be two years before a full sail is in space.
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Offline trax1

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Re: Water found on Mars
« Reply #85 on: August 03, 2008, 11:34:14 PM »
I was just reading more about the rocket carrying Nanosail-D, the Falcon 1, apparently it's partially reusable launch vehicle and today was it's first operational launch, but there 2 previous test launches also failed.  The company that built it is called SpaceX and is trying to reduce the cost of space flights by a factor of 10, obviously it's not working to well.

Also the rocket today was carrying the remains of 208 people, 1 of which was Star Treks James Doohan. 
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