Re: Saturn Ring Sample Return Mission?
- From: Craig Fink <WeBeGood@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:42:39 -0500
Martha Adams wrote:
wonder how this appeared in policy but my first attempt went to the
moderated group??
I posted to both the moderated and this group, and set the reply group to
the moderated one. You can reply to all the groups or just the one reply
group. The moderated one.
==========================
Oops, Microsoft's OE didn't mark the later lines in the message
I'm responding to. Mine starts here.
If I were designing a mission out to Saturn for ring samples, I'd
want the mission to serve other objectives too. Several
objectives sharing the cost, improves its business structure.
Yes, this would be the best way. The Sample return vehicle is, or could be,
an Aerobraking/Ion Engine space tug. Such a vehicle in Earth orbit would be
economically valuable today for taking cargo to the GEO, the Moon and Mars.
It would more than double the payload of every launch vehicle that uses it
to take payloads higher than LEO.
An interesting question is, just how would your machine go about
getting those samples? My guess is, I'd want it in an orbit inclined
slightly to the rings, so it passed through slowly and could observe
and collect samples while in the ring plane. I think you'd want to
start near the rings inner edge and stepwise increase the machine's
orbital diameter, thus getting a radial range of samples. You start
at the inside working out so you make two passes in Saturn's well,
once inward and once outward.
Just stay in the Rings, to collect samples the probe would have to
rendezvous with the target, especially the big ones. I agree Starting at
the inner edge of the ring would be the way to go, it makes maximum use of
the Aerobrake Return vehicle. As the vehicle slowly climb, scan the rings
above looking for it's next target to sample as it passes at a slower
orbital velocity just above the vehicle.
Those rings are a wonderful sight. I wonder if you could bring back
some stuff and sell it to very rich people here as jewelry, thus to
pay much of the cost of the mission?
Returning several thousand kilograms, there would be plenty of material to
sell. It would be nice to get exploration and learning working on a
different economic model that the current one. One where researchers beg
bureaucrats to take money from the people to pay for their fun. Some people
don't like being forced to pay for other people's fun. Hallerb for example.
--
Craig Fink
Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @ WeBeGood@xxxxxxxxx
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