Missions to the Sun: NASA's Solar Probe Plus and ESA's Solar Orbiter

[Chode]

Press release here:

http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2008/080501.asp

Regards

 

[willy88]

Here comes the Sun.

 

[Andy44]

Solar Probe will use seven Venus flybys over nearly seven years to gradually shrink its orbit around the sun, coming as close as 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometers) to the sun, well within the orbit of Mercury and about eight times closer than any spacecraft has come before.

Shooting for a 2015 launch date. 7 long years to wait, but this will be a really cool mission.

 

[ijuin]

Impressive! We really do need to learn more about the Sun and how it works.

 

[MajorTom]

Shooting for a 2015 launch date. 7 long years to wait, but this will be a really cool mission.

I'd call it a hot mission!

 

[Andy44]

Although I'm not too happy with having to wait SEVEN years. Not like it was in the old days when they would decide what to do and do it within a few months.

 

[ryan]

Now the only problem is that NASA has to figure out where to point the rocket.

 

[mrspacely]

Although I'm not too happy with having to wait SEVEN years. Not like it was in the old days when they would decide what to do and do it within a few months.

seriously. in a perfect world we'd already be exploring Mars on foot with the technology we have.. Humans are not perfect... It truly is sad how our own money dictates our actions.

 

[pete.dakota]

Now the only problem is that NASA has to figure out where to point the rocket.

I'm sure they've already figured it out. Flight plans are generally researched and decided on very early in the process for interplanetary missions.

 

[Ghostrider]

Now the only problem is that NASA has to figure out where to point the rocket.

"Up" would be a wise choice. Seriously, firing a rocket sideways can cause more than a little trouble. Believe me, I know.

 

[V8Li]

in a perfect world we'd already be exploring Mars on foot with the technology we have

So by your definition a perfect world is when some humans (not many, I'm sure) set foot on Mars? It's off-topic but I can't understand your philosophy...

 

[mrspacely]

do you know what a figure of speech is?

 

[thomasantony]

So by your definition a perfect world is when some humans (not many, I'm sure) set foot on Mars? It's off-topic but I can't understand your philosophy...

I'm sure that the only thing he means to say is that crewed Mars exploration mission would have already occurred .. if we had used the tech properly with the proper goals and motivation.

 

[Andy44]

So by your definition a perfect world is when some humans (not many, I'm sure) set foot on Mars? It's off-topic but I can't understand your philosophy...

What's the point of this post? Are you trying to start a flamewar?

 

[steph]

Solar Probe Plus

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10jun_solarprobe.htm :speakcool:

 

[teago]

Very cool trajectory this thing takes. First out to jupiter and then a swing in front of the giant planet bends the spacecraft's perihelion down close to the sun's surface.

http://solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov/sp4_fig1.jpg

 

[Woo482]

can some one give me the data I need to Simulate this in Orbiter

 

[Urwumpe]

C3 of 125 km²/s², that's pretty fast for a large probe. New Horizons had 256 km²/s² if I remember correctly.

 

[Chode]

Very cool trajectory this thing takes. First out to jupiter and then a swing in front of the giant planet bends the spacecraft's perihelion down close to the sun's surface.

http://solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov/sp4_fig1.jpg

That's the old plan, the current plan is for 7 Venus fly-bys:

http://solarprobe.gsfc.nasa.gov/solarprobe_news.htm

Regards

 

[Lunar_Lander]

Seeing that the flamewar has fortunately not ignited, I would like to ask how the status of the project is. Wikipedia and the NASA homepage for the project does not have much more info than "set to launch in 2015".