Re: DART bumped into target satellite during test

"Smart Feet" <smartfeet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Emkbe.2955$dh.1709@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> rk wrote:
>> DART bumped into target satellite during test
>> http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/2881
>>
>> As NASA announced the formation of a mishap investigation board to
>> examine the partial failure of the DART spacecraft a week ago, agency
>> officials confirmed that DART apparently bumped into its target
>> spacecraft during the test. ... During a quarterly earnings conference
>> call Thursday, J.R. Thompson, president of Orbital Sciences Corporation,
>> DART's prime contractor, said it appeared that DART bumped into MUBLCOM
>> during the test. NASA officials confirmed late Friday that the two
>> spacecraft apparently did make contact, enough to slightly alter
>> MUBLCOM's orbit but not hard enough to damage either spacecraft.
>>
>> -end excerpt-
>>
>>
>
>
> Is that a good or a bad thing?

Well, being a concept person, I suppose you could say,

The concept worked fine, how much closer do you want than to hit the
target..

However, if I were a control systems expert, which I'm not but have
attempted to build the odd servo system when I could see, I'd say it was
bad, as the fuel usage was up, which would be analogous to a hunting servo,
probably caused by a resonance in the system. If you are zig zaging through
space, you would stand a good chance of hitting your target I'd imagine,
especially if the closing speed was very slow!

So, looks like more work needed on the software chaps.

:-)

Brian

--

Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: briang1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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