Author Topic: Europe's first moon mission blasts off.. (Read 364 times)

GRUNHERZ · « **on:** September 27, 2003, 07:25:32 PM »

Saturday, September 27, 2003 -- Paris International Film Studio - Soundstage 7

CyranoAH · « **Reply #1 on:** September 27, 2003, 07:38:39 PM »

Yep! Just watched it live... a triple launch with 6 components (2 commercial comm satellites and the Smart 1) and it all went perfect. WTG Arianespace!

Girlfriend is now working on the Lisa Technology Demostrator (previously named Smart 2), which is now going to be a joint mission ESA-NASA.

Daniel

Mini D · « **Reply #2 on:** September 27, 2003, 08:15:37 PM »

It's orbiting our moon? I'm a little confused by the 100 million kilometers to get there comment. I'm also a bit confused as to how electricity can be used for propulsion in space.

Anyone know a bit more on this?

MiniD

Sixpence · « **Reply #3 on:** September 27, 2003, 08:18:31 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mini D
It's orbiting our moon? I'm a little confused by the 100 million kilometers to get there comment. I'm also a bit confused as to how electricity can be used for propulsion in space.

Anyone know a bit more on this?

MiniD

I read about electric shock waves being used in space, it's put out of the rear of the craft to push it forward. But that is just a guess.

rpm · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2003, 09:41:58 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Mini D
I'm also a bit confused as to how electricity can be used for propulsion in space.

It could be a couple of methods. Ion beam which emits a laser like beam of light that actually pushes against sub atomic particles OR it could be electromagnetic pulse that pushes against charged ions in space. The ship already has "E" from the chemical rocket used to escape Earth's gravity and does not need much more thrust to stay on course. Theoreticaly speaking as long as the beam (engine) is on, the ship would accellerate to the speed of light or it smashed into something. Deep Space is not totally empty as most people think. There are tiny bits of dust, magnetic fields, solar waves and all kinds of things that can be used for a propulsion platform. I have even heard of a method that would resemble old sailing techniques riding solar winds for long distance exploration.

Mini D · « **Reply #5 on:** September 27, 2003, 11:24:18 PM »

I don't believe a "beam" solution would work if there is a reliance on solar pannels. I guess... it just seems a bit far fetched. And... there'd be no way to generate the thrust necessary for retro type actions using either of those methods (may be what the 60l of fuel is for). Dunno... Seems they'd have more on it if it used either of the two propulsion systems you suggested... since they'd both be completely revolutionary.

MiniD

Mini D · « **Reply #6 on:** September 27, 2003, 11:25:50 PM »

I'm starting to think they meant "powered" instead of "propulsion".

MiniD

rpm · « **Reply #7 on:** September 27, 2003, 11:43:42 PM »

I saw a show about this type of propulsion on Discovery Channel several months ago. It included all kinds of odd propulsion ideas including one that had a laser firing at a spinning disc to achive Earth orbit. The "Pop" of the laser made gas expand and thrusted the disc upward. Problem was to get a laser powerful enough to work at long distance with a payload, it would melt the disc.
But the Ion Drive method used a small nuclear reactor as a fuel source, but it was intended for long distance (Lightyears) outside our solar system. Solar panels could work on a short low power hop (i.e. Moon) where they have adequate sunlight. I'll have to do some research on this particular ship's drive.

rpm · « **Reply #8 on:** September 27, 2003, 11:51:54 PM »

It's an Ion Drive And YES, I am a Space Geek.

Quote

The ion engine is scheduled to go into action on 30 September. At first, it will fire almost continuously -stopping only when the spacecraft is in the Earth's shadow - to accelerate the probe (at about 0.2 mm/s2) and raise the altitude of its perigee (the lowest point of its orbit) from 750 to 20 000 km. This manoeuvre will take about 80 days to complete and will place the spacecraft safely above the radiation belts that surround the Earth.

Sixpence · « **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2003, 12:00:36 AM »

The method I talked about Mini is based sort of on recoil. If a shotgun goes off in space, the gun will be hurled opposite of the bullet. The pulse of electricity works the same way. I saw this years ago, i'm not sure if this is what they are talking about though. I wish I could remember what program I saw it on, but it was a few years back.

rpm · « **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2003, 12:17:09 AM »

Sixpence, it may have been the same show I saw. They discussed several different types.

muckmaw · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2003, 12:21:39 AM »

WTG Guys...

Good Luck!

Hey, if France lands on the Moon, do they plant the white flag?

hehe...

Sorry, could'nt help it.

Mini D · « **Reply #12 on:** September 28, 2003, 12:44:30 AM »

OK.. makes a bit more sense now. And sixpense, I get the theory. Though... I don't really think you were quite there. It's simply accelerated particles. I actually have a couple of devices at work that could do this (wonder if they might have "borrowed" the patent on one of them). Of course, we are more concerned with driving the ions into things as opposed to capturing their departure force or thrust. But the theory is the same.

The thing is, this takes a bit of power and would seemingly go through fuel somewhat fast... though not nearly as fast as relying on a chemical reaction. It must be a very effecient system they are using. Cathode deterioation alone would have been a real tough one to overcome much less regulating micro-plasma-bursts.

I see they are also going to rely on eventually having the lunar orbit "captured". I gess that explains the 100 million km bit. 3 close passes before it gets there translates to some hellatious distant orbits before turning around.

MiniD

Chairboy · « **Reply #13 on:** September 28, 2003, 02:49:58 AM »

Truth, it was used to much success on the Deep Space 1 mission.

BTW, you don't need a lot of thrust to do stuff in space unless it's a manned mission. You could conceivably spend a year working your way out of earth orbit to no ill effect. You don't want to spend that much time if it's manned because of the costs in mass & sanity.