RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 01:58 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:
(05-28-2015 09:33 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: Just think--this is the first time any humans have seen this planet this closely, and that blob is only going to get sharper and more detailed. This is an example of a government program that, while certainly not perfect, is a more worthy use of taxpayer funds than most of them. I wish we'd commit to putting an orbiting satellite around every planet in the solar system at this point. We can build them so small and relatively cheaply these days, it's a shame not to get this done.
What an amazing time we are lucky enough to be born in.
And I fully agree that we should have probes orbiting every planet in our system ans we should have several floating around in the kuiper belt.
Its frustrating that its not already in the works.
I think we are making great progress. There have been mission to Jupiter, Saturn, Titan and now Pluto. We've 'landed' a probe on a asteroid and have another about to swing by Mercury.
As an aside, have any of you guys read The Martian by Andy Weir? It's a great read about an astronaut marooned on Mars. They are turning it into a movie starring Matt Damon as the protagonist.
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 06:11 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:
(05-29-2015 01:58 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:
(05-28-2015 09:33 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: Just think--this is the first time any humans have seen this planet this closely, and that blob is only going to get sharper and more detailed. This is an example of a government program that, while certainly not perfect, is a more worthy use of taxpayer funds than most of them. I wish we'd commit to putting an orbiting satellite around every planet in the solar system at this point. We can build them so small and relatively cheaply these days, it's a shame not to get this done.
What an amazing time we are lucky enough to be born in.
And I fully agree that we should have probes orbiting every planet in our system ans we should have several floating around in the kuiper belt.
Its frustrating that its not already in the works.
I think we are making great progress. There have been mission to Jupiter, Saturn, Titan and now Pluto. We've 'landed' a probe on a asteroid and have another about to swing by Mercury.
Sure but we are talking about probes that remain in orbit for many years, monitoring and taking readings continually. Not temporary probes that take readings and then are destroyed or abandoned.
We miss a lot of activity by not having long term probes in orbit around the planets. Most of the outer planets are basically small solar systems with all sports of activity and constant changes.
(This post was last modified: 05-29-2015 10:56 AM by ericsrevenge76.)
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 08:13 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote: Sure but we are talking about probes that remain in orbit for many years, monitoring and taking readings continually. Not temporary probes that take readings and then are destroyed or abandoned.
We miss a lot of activity by not having long term probes in orbit around the planets. Most of the outer planets are basically small solar systems with all sports of activity and constant changes.
Permanent man-made probes around all the planets (and dwarf planets, alright) in the solar system would not only improve the science and study of those bodies, but I think it would be an investment in expanding the mindset of humans from the more parochial attitude towards going-on here on earth. There is a whole universe to conquer, and we are mostly occupied with the minutia on this one little rock.
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 08:13 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:
(05-29-2015 06:11 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:
(05-29-2015 01:58 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:
(05-28-2015 09:33 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: Just think--this is the first time any humans have seen this planet this closely, and that blob is only going to get sharper and more detailed. This is an example of a government program that, while certainly not perfect, is a more worthy use of taxpayer funds than most of them. I wish we'd commit to putting an orbiting satellite around every planet in the solar system at this point. We can build them so small and relatively cheaply these days, it's a shame not to get this done.
What an amazing time we are lucky enough to be born in.
And I fully agree that we should have probes orbiting every planet in our system ans we should have several floating around in the kuiper belt.
Its frustrating that its not already in the works.
I think we are making great progress. There have been mission to Jupiter, Saturn, Titan and now Pluto. We've 'landed' a probe on a asteroid and have another about to swing by Mercury.
Sure but we are talking about probes that remain in orbit for many years, monitoring and taking readings continually. Not temporary probes that take readings and then are destroyed or abandoned.
We miss a lot of activity by not having long term probes in orbit around the planets. Most of the outer planets are basically small solar systems with all sports of activity and constant changes.
One of the issues we currently have is available plutonium for the power systems. The last mars rover used up a chunk of the remainder that we had. They are apparently looking at using sterling engines which would make the energy system more effecient so that they can get more use out of the remaining plutonium.
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 12:20 PM)UofMstateU Wrote:
(05-29-2015 08:13 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:
(05-29-2015 06:11 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:
(05-29-2015 01:58 AM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:
(05-28-2015 09:33 PM)GoodOwl Wrote: Just think--this is the first time any humans have seen this planet this closely, and that blob is only going to get sharper and more detailed. This is an example of a government program that, while certainly not perfect, is a more worthy use of taxpayer funds than most of them. I wish we'd commit to putting an orbiting satellite around every planet in the solar system at this point. We can build them so small and relatively cheaply these days, it's a shame not to get this done.
What an amazing time we are lucky enough to be born in.
And I fully agree that we should have probes orbiting every planet in our system ans we should have several floating around in the kuiper belt.
Its frustrating that its not already in the works.
I think we are making great progress. There have been mission to Jupiter, Saturn, Titan and now Pluto. We've 'landed' a probe on a asteroid and have another about to swing by Mercury.
Sure but we are talking about probes that remain in orbit for many years, monitoring and taking readings continually. Not temporary probes that take readings and then are destroyed or abandoned.
We miss a lot of activity by not having long term probes in orbit around the planets. Most of the outer planets are basically small solar systems with all sports of activity and constant changes.
One of the issues we currently have is available plutonium for the power systems. The last mars rover used up a chunk of the remainder that we had. They are apparently looking at using sterling engines which would make the energy system more effecient so that they can get more use out of the remaining plutonium.
We have plenty of potential plutonium. If currently sitting in cooling pool at various nuclear facilities in the US, it just needs to be reprocessed.
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
I just wasn't sure if you understood that a dwarf planet is still considered a planet. Just a different classification of planet from the 8 major planets.
The terminology confuses a lot of people.
Pluto is not a moon or asteroid, its a very small planet.
(This post was last modified: 05-29-2015 02:05 PM by ericsrevenge76.)
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 01:42 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote: I just want sure if you understood that a dwarf planet is still considered a planet. Just a different classification of planet from the 8 major planets.
The terminology confuses a lot of people.
Pluto is not a moon or asteroid, its is a very small planet.
No because there are other similar "planets" relatively nearby. They are either all planets or not all planets. Pluto doesn't get an exception because our telescopes weren't that good when it was found.
RE: Pluto -NASA space mission flyby (and maybe to Kuiper Belt afterwards!)
(05-29-2015 01:44 PM)firmbizzle Wrote:
(05-29-2015 01:42 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote: I just want sure if you understood that a dwarf planet is still considered a planet. Just a different classification of planet from the 8 major planets.
The terminology confuses a lot of people.
Pluto is not a moon or asteroid, its is a very small planet.
No because there are other similar "planets" relatively nearby. They are either all planets or not all planets. Pluto doesn't get an exception because our telescopes weren't that good when it was found.
Your free to call it whatever pleases you, but Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet, or minor planet as sometimes called.
Not an opinion, its a scientific fact.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is the second-most massive known dwarf planet, after Eris.
(This post was last modified: 05-29-2015 01:52 PM by ericsrevenge76.)