Rosetta in orbit!

[HarmanKardon]

That is fascinating! 1 gram...!

[MrPots]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Around a comet.

How about something nice? We could use it I think

"After a 10-year chase taking it billions of miles across the solar system, the Rosetta spacecraft made history Wednesday as it became the first probe to rendezvous with a comet on its journey around the sun.

"Thruster burn complete. Rosetta has arrived at comet 67P. We're in orbit!" announced the European Space Agency, which is leading the ambitious project, on Twitter.

Rosetta fired its thrusters on its final approach to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, known as "Chury" for short, on Wednesday morning. Half an hour after the burn, scientists announced that the craft had entered into the orbit of the streaking comet.

............

"The pictures coming back so far look intriguing -- and imagine the kind of scenes we can expect when Philae lands this coming November," he said.

To get to its destination the spacecraft has covered more than three billion miles and as the comet hurtles towards the sun it will reach a speed of about 62,000 miles per hour.

The mission has now achieved the first of what it hopes will be a series of historic accomplishments. In November mission controllers aim to place the robotic lander Philae on the surface -- something that has never been done before.

Previous missions have performed comet fly-bys but Rosetta is different. This probe will follow the comet for more than a year, mapping and measuring how it changes as it is blasted by the sun's energy.

........"

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/06/world/...omet-approach/

Pete

This is incredible isn't it? It's sad that the US is no longer a world leader in anything. But there certainly was a time..... now all we do is bicker with each other over whether to have a civilized and intelligent society or not.

Congratulations to the Europeans for being the adults in the world and moving forward.

[BlueStreak]

Wow! The European Space Agency managed to achieve this with all that "Soshialism" and without the help of Ted Cruz?

WTF? How is that possible?



Dave

[merrylander]

Umm because they don't have a Ted Cruz?

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by MrPots

This is incredible isn't it? It's sad that the US is no longer a world leader in anything. But there certainly was a time..... now all we do is bicker with each other over whether to have a civilized and intelligent society or not.

Congratulations to the Europeans for being the adults in the world and moving forward.

You kidding me?
How about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram? And with Google and Microsoft, we rule the world and Apple keeps the world happy.

[Rajoo]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Philea's weight in the low (almost non-existant) gravity is effectively 1 gram

That figure is absolutely astonishing. Less than the typical tracking weight of a cartridge.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by BeamOn

That figure is absolutely astonishing. Less than the typical tracking weight of a cartridge.

Really, even a high compliance cart will run ~1.2 to 1.5g.

Dave

[donquixote99]

That thing must be balanced better than a Swiss watch to keep Newton's third law from knocking it over whenever it moves anything.

[piece-itpete]

Shame about the troubles. Obviously, the fact it landed at all is because of the GOP win, and the fact it bounced and landed on its side is because Obama is still Pres

Even if it didn't land at all what has already been done is nothing short of a miracle. I hope that their efforts to extend it work, and that whatever info it can send back help our understanding.

This is older but after watching it with a few beers in me proclaimed to the SO 'this is a GREAT sci vid'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf1zsACcXc4

Pete

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Shame about the troubles. Obviously, the fact it landed at all is because of the GOP win, and the fact it bounced and landed on its side is because Obama is still Pres

Even if it didn't land at all what has already been done is nothing short of a miracle. I hope that their efforts to extend it work, and that whatever info it can send back help our understanding.

This is older but after watching it with a few beers in me proclaimed to the SO 'this is a GREAT sci vid'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf1zsACcXc4

Pete

Naw, it's a classic videogame. Asteroids, when you're down to one asteroid.

it will be neat when the saucer shows up....