Re: RUSSIAN ASTROLOGER SUES NASA, TRIES TO STOP DEEP IMPACT MISSION


ring_theory wrote:

> It has everything to do with temple1 mission. The point is that just
because
> NASA say's it's not possible or the odds are too great doesn't mean
it's
> fact. it proves that NASA can, has, and will make statistical errors.

The shuttle disasters are of an entirely different league from the
question of the comet impact. Orbital mechanics is a tractible problem.
It's VERY well understood. The problem with disintegrating shuttle
orbiters has, on the other hand, been one of sociology. NASA management
wants to fly the shuttle for what are quite frankly mythical reasons.
There's no compelling utilitarian need for the shuttle/ISS. They insist
that it fly, and complaints about safety issues from those who have to
deal with them each day get systematically pigeon-holed 'til it's too
late. Comparing Deep Impact to the shuttle failures is very much apples
& oranges.

> No. NASA should have immediatly proceeded with shuttle missions as
well as
> other missions. We learn from our mistakes, just as discovery can be
made
> through failure. what I'm saying is that the impact approach is
messing with
> the natural cyclic orbit of temple1. A change in velocity no matter
how
> small will change the timing. It's 1 part of a mechanism
> Jupiter and mars plays catch with temple1. Why this happens is
unknown but
> it is a natural mechanism occuring naturally and repeatedly.

The reason for the behavior of this comet is far from unknown,
except of course to you. This is just one of those things that happen
in nature sometimes due to ordinary orbital mechanics.

And I must re-iterate; The probe will interfere with the comet much
less than will, over time, the comet's own farts. For that matter,
don't you think it's ever collided with other objects: dust, small
asteroids, solar wind?

> Every action has an equal but opposite reacton or chain reaction.
NASA is
> changing the timing of a mechanism. That change may or may not have
an
> immediate responce but there will be a reaction to the timing change.
>
> NASA should concintrate on observation and data collection over a
period of
> time not interfering with natural mechanisms.

EVERYTHING is interference. You, at this very moment, are
interfering with that comet's path through space. Your body has a
gravitational field. It's never a question of interference vs
non-interference, because it cannot be avoided. The question is, How
much is too much? By learning some grade school physics, it's possible
to figure out in this case how much is too much, and as it turns out
this will be but a drop in the ocean. I quoted a maximum delta-V of
62mm/s, given the absolute lowest mass estimate for the comet. The
maximum estimate is a lot greater than that. If the mass turns out to
be greater than the low bid by any amount, the resulting delta-V will
be that much smaller. And of course, much of the impact energy WILL be
turned into heat, not kinesis.

There is NOTHING to fret about.

-Mark Martin

.

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