Off Topic - My other hobby

[stugray]

Just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of where some of your tax dollars go:

See the following websites about the upcoming launch of the Deep Impact Spacecraft from Cape Canaveral.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/01/01/comet.buster.ap/index.html

http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/


It should (hopefully ) make for some good 4th of July fireworks.

Stu

[Scuba Oz]

interesting

[stugray]

Bump...

- Odd that 'PS2 vs Xbox' got more response than a NASA mission to whack a comet.... Perhaps I should have made the title more descriptive.

NASA spends millions for Education & Public Outreach to get their efforts made public. They need the support from the public or the NASA budget suffers. I was just trying to get some free press ( and hopefully some interest )

Sad that PS & XBOX posts get more response than cool science.
( I not putting down the xbox post, I posted to it myself.. )

Stu

[Generic]

Oh yea, definitly will be watching that! Its been 1 year since my GF and I went DMNS to watch the JPL Feed of Spirit arriving on Mars. That was exciting!

I built this a few weeks later
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00008WFWM.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Murdock

[Skatereef]

I also think it is cool. I hope I get to see that on tv.Ive also built the space leggos.Dont know where it went.My other intrest is skateboarding.Not much.:)

[Mr.Lizard]

Another of my expensive hobbies/interests! I have a Celestron 4" refractor (900mm) When I'm not using it, it's stored in my music room away from the saltwater tanks....with the scuba gear....far from the oil and such of the Harley and the IROC Camaro.... LOL Put me on your buddy list and keep me posted on anything of interest going on in space! Or refer me to Space Central....?(currently out of skateboards- been there, done that, too!)

[derrikd]

cool,

[Neptune270]

GO Cubbies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cubs fan in colorado!!!

[Androdicus]

I find it very exciting. Although right now I’ve been waiting for something that’ll take place next week.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/cassini_huygens_041224.html

[stugray]

Wish us luck ( the Deep Impact Program ).

I am helping with spacecraft final closeouts tonight, we are stacked on the Launch Vehicle and they are installing the fairing tomorrow.
I'll post some pics when I get back if I get a chance.

This will be the last time I'll see the hardware that I have spent the last three years building.....

Launch at around 13:00 EST on the 12th.

Stu

[justmiles]

Make sure to grab all of the RBF (Remove before flight) flags.
My name is on the disk (http://deepimpact1.jpl.nasa.gov/sendyourname/certificate.cfm?CertNum=426283&CertName=Justin%20Miles)

[Mr.Lizard]

I use an RBF on my Harley's fork lock to keep myself reminded....

[stugray]

Here is a picture of the Deep Impact spcaecraft in the Boeing Delta II fairing. Only 1/2 of the fairing has been installed so far.


http://home.comcast.net/~gray.stuart/DI_in_fairing.jpg

[wanecek]

Very Cool! I hope all goes well with your launch and misson afterward. Must be hard to see it go after working on it for the past 3 years?

Thanks,
Michael

[FishnWishn]

Hey Stu,
Is this the rocket I've been hearing about that is supposed to collide with an asteroid? It is actually a comet that it is going to interact with. Huh! Uncle Sam's version of Asteroids video game (sorry had to throw that in with the Xbox remarks :D). That is really cool though. Do you know if the webcast that they are advertising is going to cover the launch and mission? I am trying to figure out how to subscribe to the webcast. It sure would be something to watch. Don't get too used to that FL. weather. Good luck with the launch! And run like hell when you light that fuse.

[stugray]

FishnWishn,

Yes half of the spacecraft will collide with a comet while the other half watches from a safe distance.

wanecek, Yes it will be hard to see it go, but a HUGE weight will be lifted from my shoulders once it is out of here.

The launch coverage is best from www.spaceflightnow.com @ http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d311/status.html

Or you can see live video coverage with countdown clock at http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/
One of the four screenshots will show me on launch day running the console ( the triple headed sun workstation ).

[FishnWishn]

Thanks for the sites. I'll be watching. It sould be an interesting 4th of July also!

[justmiles]

Spectacular launch!!
Thats what the right stuff is all about.

[stugray]

Yes very nice ride from Boeing.

The countdown procedure was a bit hairy and we fell behind. We got our s%&t together in time, and we went on the first attempt.

The spacecraft managed to drop into safe-mode ( not really the best way to start a mission ), but it is safe, power happy, and talking with us.

Overall, I think everything will be fine, and we will have a nice peaceful six month coast to the comet.

See the website http://www.spaceflightnow.com
for some spectacular images & video clips

Stu

[stugray]

Time for a bump!

I posted months ago about how I was seeing my child take it's first steps, and was glad to see her go ( she's now about 2 light-minutes away... fast learner! )

Since then, I have been assimilated into the mission operations team, and have been chained to a sun workstation....:D

We are only about 80 days out from impact, and thought those that responded to the original post deserved an update.

The spacecraft is working beautifully, and the only issue we have is that our best camera has a focus problem ( very similar to the hubble optics debacle... ).

We expect to still get the best closeup pictures of a comet ever, and to see a crater forming will be just a little bit cool :eek1:

more updates to come ( By next Tuesday I will have taken the first pics of the comet FROM the spacecraft ... :smokin:, I'm sure they'll be on the website. I'll post em when I get em )

Stu

[burkleman]

That is awesome stu, I absolutly love this kind of stuff, just sorry I was a member on RC untill the end of Jan. I am actually taking an astronomy class at Metro this simester and plan to take more in the future. Say any chance that you might be looking for an intern any time soon, that would be one of the best internships ever, IMHO. Can't wait for more updates now that I know this thread is here.

Brandon

[justmiles]

2 light minutes sounds so insignifigant, but its (according to Google) 35,975,094,960 meters

Thats a long way away.

I am sure it will go better than Genesis!

[stugray]

Burkleman,

Yes Ball Aerospace accepts summer interns. Email me @ sgray@ball.com.

justmiles, dont get me started about Genesis..... I was the test lead. At least I wasnt the one personally responsible for the reentry avionics ( I was resp. for C&DH & ADCS which worked flawlessly ). However I WAS responsible for Stardust's reentry avionics. We'll see how that goes next Feb.

Stu

[burkleman]

you've got mail.

Brandon B.

[stugray]

I took this picture today:


http://home.comcast.net/~gray.stuart/NAV_OM_4200012.jpg




It only cost $310,000,000.

It is a picture of the Comet Tempel1 from the Deep Impact Spacecraft. The blob in the middle is the comet, and all the other dots are stars. It isnt very impressive, but we are still millions of miles away. It will run over our poor little impactor in 70 days. We will be getting much more impressive pics in the future.

Stay Tuned.....

Stu

[burkleman]

That is awsome. Thanks for the update.

Brandon

[aqua_obs]

Go Stu GO! Take us with you!

[stugray]

small bump for those of you who are following:

http://www.space.com/deepimpact/

36 days and counting ( far too rapidly ).

Stu

[burkleman]

Sweet thanks for the update.

Brandon

[Mr.Lizard]

For those watching- I just got this from Orion Telescopes. Go their website for more info and sign up for their newsletter!


Deep Fireworks
NASA’s historic Deep Impact mission is set to climax on July 4th with the planned collision of a man-made projectile with a comet called 9P/Tempel 1. The 820-pound, washing-machine-sized “impactor” launched from the Deep Impact spacecraft will smash into the comet’s nucleus at 23,000 miles per hour, expelling ice and dust debris and gouging out a crater a couple of football fields wide and some 50 yards deep. By analyzing the blown-out debris and the freshly excavated crater itself, scientists expect to learn more about what comets are made of. And from that they hope to gain new insights into how the solar system was formed.

While all manner of professional observatory telescopes and orbiting instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope will be trained on Comet Tempel 1 before, during, and after the big crash, backyard skywatchers can get a first-hand look for themselves.



As for what gear you’ll need to witness the event, there are basically three options: eyes alone, binoculars, or a telescope. Let’s explore at each of these options.

Will the Eyes Have It?
If you don’t have a pair of binoculars stashed in a closet somewhere and don’t want to spring for a telescope, you can try going “naked”—taking a naked-eye viewing approach, that is. Unfortunately, with just your eyes you will not be able to see the comet before impact, because at 10th magnitude it’s about 40 times dimmer than they can detect. But after impact, when the comet brightens to the expected 6th magnitude or so, it may become visible without optical aid, barely. But you would have to be an experienced observer to pick it out from among the thicket of stars surrounding it. Can you say needle in a haystack? So, no, the eyes really won’t have it. This is an event best observed with the aid of an optical instrument.

Is It a Sight for Four Eyes?
With a good pair of full- or giant-sized (60mm and larger) binoculars, you should be able to spot the comet. We’ll define full-size binoculars as those having front lenses of 40mm to 50mm in diameter. Giant-size binocs sport lenses measuring 60mm or larger. The bigger the lenses the better, because bigger lenses take in more light, so you get a brighter image.

Before impact Tempel 1 may be hard to discern in binoculars, but upon brightening after the impact it should be easy to spot. Your best bet is to mount the binoculars on a tripod to steady the image and reduce arm fatigue. Most binoculars have a threaded socket in between the optical barrels that accepts an optional “L-adapter” (available from Orion), which couples the binocular to a standard camera tripod. If you don’t have a tripod, brace the binocular against something solid like a wall or a car door to hold it steady.

Observe from as dark a site as possible and make sure your eyes are fully dark-adapted (see Tips and Tricks also copied over below). Using a planisphere or our all-sky map, find the constellation Virgo in the west-southwest part of the sky. Locate the bright star Spica and sweep the area immediately around it. When you see a fuzzy patch, you’ve spotted Tempel 1! On the date of impact, it will be about 3-1/2 degrees (about a third of a fist-width at arm’s length) to the east-northeast (left) of Spica. Refer to the detailed star map to see the comet’s exact position relative to Spica.

A Telescope’s the Ticket
To get a good look at Comet Tempel 1, a telescope is the way to go. Any telescope design will do—refractor, reflector, or Cassegrain, but the bigger its optics, the more vivid the image will be. From a dark-sky site, a telescope with 4” optics should begin to reveal the comet’s hazy glow. (if you have a smaller telescope, go ahead and give it a try. You just might get lucky.) You’ll have better luck with an 8” or larger telescope, which will be a reflector or Schmidt-Cassegrain. Remember that moonlight will wash out the comet from June 8 to 23, so plan on starting your observations on the 24th, if you haven’t already, when the Moon comes up later in the evening.

Your telescope should be equipped with a finder scope to help locate the comet, and a sturdy mount. An “equatorial” mount is desirable, since it allows you easily to follow the east-to-west motion of celestial objects in the sky by making manual adjustments with one slow-motion control, or by use of an optional electronic tracking drive. If your telescope is coupled to a simpler, “altazimuth” mount, not to worry. You can still track the comet by making occasional tweaks to both the vertical and horizontal positions of the scope. Plan on having at least a couple of eyepieces at the ready, one for low-power viewing and another for higher magnification.

Start by making sure the finder scope is aligned with the main telescope. The procedure for this should be covered in the telescope’s instruction manual. Then do a quick polar alignment of the equatorial mount (if that’s what you have); that’s also covered in the manual. Put a low-power eyepiece in the telescope’s focuser. Low power (less than 50x) is best for locating objects and for getting maximum contrast between objects and the background sky. Now you’re ready to go comet-catching!

To get the telescope pointed in the right direction, locate Spica in the finder scope and use your telescope’s slow-motion controls to center it on the finder’s crosshairs. Remember that the view in a typical finder scope will be upside-down compared to a normal view. If you’re using a star chart, rotate it 180 degrees to match the view in the finder scope. It’s also important to know how the image in the main telescope’s eyepiece compares to the star chart. In a reflector telescope the image will be upside-down. In a refractor or Cassegrain used with a “star diagonal” in front of the eyepiece, the view will be mirror-reversed, so you will have to mentally flip it back or else turn your star chart over and read it from behind to match the eyepiece view!

From Spica, move the telescope a few degrees in the direction of the comet using the mount’s slow-motion controls. Refer to the detailed star chart to determine where the comet should be relative to Spica. With a low-power eyepiece in the telescope’s focuser, see if you can identify the comet’s fuzzy glow. If you can’t, sweep the area a little with the slow-motion controls until you find it.

Once you have Tempel 1 in the eyepiece’s field of view, study its appearance for a while. Can you detect any shape to its diffuse tail? Now insert a higher-power eyepiece, one that provides 100x magnification or so. The view will be dimmer but you may resolve more structure. Try other magnifications using other eyepieces, too, if you have them.

Of course, after the impactor slams into the comet on July 3/4, it should become much easier to see. Will the blown-off debris cloud cause the comet to look any bigger, or just brighter? How soon after impact will its appearance start to change? And how long will the “extreme makeover” persist? Nobody has the answers to these questions right now. But with a good telescope, a good eye, and patient observation, you can have fun finding out!

Tips and Tricks for Viewing Comet Tempel 1

Allow Time for Your Eyes to Dark-Adapt
Anytime you stargaze, whether you’re using a telescope, binoculars, or just your eyes, be sure to allow some time beforehand for your eyes to adapt to the darkness. After 20 minutes or so in the dark, you’ll notice that you can see many more stars than when you first stepped outside and looked up. For viewing Comet Tempel 1, good dark adaptation will be important for seeing the “fuzziness” around what might otherwise look like a plain-old star.

Once your eyes are dark-adapted, avoid looking at bright light sources as they will instantly spoil your night vision. To see what you’re doing at the telescope or to read your star map, use flashlight that emits red light, the dimmer the better. A flashlight with a red LED and adjustable illumination is ideal. Red light interferes less with the eyes’ dark adaptation than white light.

Use Averted Vision and the Jiggle Technique
For faint objects like Comet Tempel 1 (at least before the impact), sometimes you can see them better using averted vision. That is, instead of looking directly at the comet, look off a little to one side in the eyepiece’s field of view. The reason this works is that the edge of the eye’s retina is more sensitive to dim light than the center. Another trick for spotting difficult objects is to tap the side of the telescope tube lightly, just enough to jiggle the field of view. The eye is good at detecting motion, and when you set the whole starfield in motion this way, the comet’s fuzzy form may emerge from the surrounding stellar pinpoints.

Drape a Dark Cloth Over Your Head
Any extraneous light from nearby houses or street lights will interfere with your ability to see the faint comet through a telescope or binoculars. You can block such light from entering your eye by draping a dark cloth such as a towel over your head and the eyepiece(s). Or at the least, cup your hand around your eye and the eyepiece—without touching the eyepiece—to block stray light. You’ll be amazed what a difference it can make.


Hope this helps everyone!

[stugray]

Mr.Lizard,

Very impressive explanation. I assume that you'll be watching.....

Good luck, I hope you have a camera attachment.
I'll be watching live from JPL in Pasadena.

BTW we just finished ( last night ) our last ORT ( Operational Readiness Test ), and we hit the simulated comet. Let's just hope its that easy in 17 days.

I am officially known as the: Impactor Command & Data Handling engineer, as well as the 'Holy Crap-we need a command built right now' monkey. With any luck, I'll be out of a job at impact ( not really - we have a 3 year follow on mission if the Flyby spacecraft survives flying through the Comet's Coma).

Stu

[Deeparchae]

bump

[Deeparchae]

http://www.dmns.org/main/en/General/Education/AdultProgram/Lectures/Programs/deepImpactLecture.htm

DMNH is holding an evening event for this.!

[Deeparchae]

OOPS I guess its called DMNS now, not DMNH.

[burkleman]

That is awsome, just hope that I am in town for it.

Brandon

[Deeparchae]

Coming soon to a solar system near you.

[stugray]

Yeah.... WAY SOON...:eek1:

Here are some good links:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/comet-05z.html

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/050629_deep_impact_beyond.html

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2005-06-28-deep-impact-cover_x.htm

Stu - from California

[stugray]

2 days 2 hours to impact.

~1 day to Impactor separation. We're about to release the little 'impactor fella'. It will be very interseting to see how he acts right after release. If we have our mass properties correct, it should be smooth sailing, if not.... the "fecal material will collide with the impeller" and we will be scrambling to get it right.

If you have NASA channel, the MSA ( Mission Support Area ) should be 24 hour coverage for the next two days. I'll be the mostly-bald guy with the beard behind the "CDH-I" sign.

More updates as we go...

the best way to watch ( online ) is:

http://www.space.com/deepimpact/

or

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/deepimpact/status.html

Stu

[stugray]

Our Flyby Spacecraft just gave birth to a 820 pound thrusting baby boy. Everything looks perfect. 24 Hrs to Impact!!!

Stu

[stugray]

BUMP - Less than 8 hours till Impact!!!

[Clown-N-Around]

Congratulations! I just saw you on TV, pretty amazing stuff.

[FishnWishn]

Congrats, some amazing pictures from both the impactor and the fly-by. You were just out of camera range for most of the time on the NASA channel but they did get shots of you shaking hands with the congressman from Cali.
Good luck with the rest of the mission.

[stugray]

Bullseye!!!

Watch tomorrow for the video clips, they are going to be spectacular. Even with our blurred vision, the pics will be far better than anything we have ever taken before ( even better than Stardust ).

Thanks for the congrats. It's been a long road.

Stu

["Umm, fish?"]

Congratulations! That was a pretty good shot all the way from here.

This is kind of OT, but my daughter's godfather works for Orbital Sciences. Could you get him a job so I can get him to move to Colorado?

Kepp up the good work!

[burkleman]

Very cool, and congrats, just saw it on the news.

Brandon

[stugray]

Thanks to all for the congrats.

Mr.Lizard,
Were you able to see the impact? I'd like to hear how it went.

Stu

[Padron]

What a waste of $333 million, Money could've been spent on more useful things here on earth

[Deeparchae]

That is not an acceptable comment.

[Padron]

I'm sorry you feel that way, what I should have said is Congratulations as that is Stu's career and a noteworthy accomplishment.
but with 1 person dying every 3 seconds in Africa, what does spending $333 million to crash into a comet to study it's compositional makeup prove. Is it going to better our lives or our children, or anyone else in the near future. Probably not

[cadeucsb]

And it looks like you nasa folk went and ****ed off a russian astrologist as well...

for those that didnt hear:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/05/tech/main706687.shtml

[oujeeper]

Shouldn't she have known this would cause a "shift in the cosmic balance" BEFORE it occurred and done something to stop this? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[stugray]

Padron,

Pardon me, but I also feel saddened by your comment.

If all americans cared so much about not wasting money, then perhaps we should pay our teachers and police officers better than we pay our basketball players....

I can guarantee that Americans spent more JUST LAST YEAR on sports memorabilia, than the entire mission cost.

The cost to each american for this mission was less than one Big Mac per person. There are rich americans that dodge paying that much in taxes ( in one year ). Maybe you should spend your time going after them.

Stu

[cadeucsb]

privatized vs government spending are whole different ballgames... a person isnt choosing to buy sports memorabilia over paying more to teachers.

Pro sports is another argument i always get sick of. The athletes generate the income, there for make the salaries they do. Does it suck that someone as important as a teacher doesnt get paid more, yes. but doesnt mean athletes should be paid less.

[Deeparchae]

The bottom line is that throwing 330 mil at Africa won't help the situation either. All that would accomplish is to line the pockets of corrupt leaders. The solution to Africa has to come from Africa. We should help, but we should not waste money when it can be put to good long-term benefit by science. It may be difficult to see the long-term benefit of science if you limit yourself to a short-range viewpoint.

[Padron]

stugray,

"I can guarantee that Americans spent more JUST LAST YEAR on sports memorabilia, than the entire mission cost."

The great thing about America is we can choose what we would like to spend our after tax dollars on, be it sports memorabilia, an awesome reef tank, sending money to charitable causes, or whatever.

If put to a vote by the American people, I think the spending of Millions of our tax dollars to study space dust and the origin of the universe, would have been voted down.


"The cost to each American for this mission was less than one Big Mac per person."

So What, that money could have been spent on disease research, alternate fuel sources and many other things that would improve our lives and our childrens.


"There are rich Americans that dodge paying that much in taxes ( in one year ). Maybe you should spend your time going after them."

I already have a job, thats one for the government. Perhaps if they had additional resources, they could hire more people and go after the tax evaders in turn creating more jobs.

I was not going after anyone, just stating my opinion that I thought that project was a huge waste of tax payer money.


cadeucsb,

Well put.



Deeparchae,

"The bottom line is that throwing 330 mil at Africa won't help the situation either. All that would accomplish is to line the pockets of corrupt leaders"

Agreed, Africa was an example of were money could be spent today to impact lives on Earth

" It may be difficult to see the long-term benefit of science if you limit yourself to a short-range viewpoint."

Don't get me wrong, I love science and don't have a short-range viewpoint. I just feel that all that taxpayer money could have been better spent here on Earth to fund other scientific projects and other areas where there is urgent need.

[fishetcinc]

Padron,

The $333 million spent on the impactor project didnt just disappear into thin air nor was it blown up in the collision. It was used to pay the salaries of all the hard working people on this project from factory workers, to engineers, scientists and even the janitors cleaning up after them. Had the impactor project never occured, all of these people would have never had their jobs. The project has created a multitude of new jobs now and for the future and therefore has made things on earth even better by adding more employment into our economy.

Think about all the new jobs created by the impactor project. Think about all the new jobs that will be created by the data that is obtained. Think about all those kids that are watching this project and have decided to become NASA engineers.

Our society needs stuff like this to generate national excitement and open up many new job opportunities. It is a good investement in my opinion of $330million in taxes. Personally, I am happy to see my tax money go into a project like this one. I rather see my tax money spent on creating new jobs and widening our economy over seeing my tax money be given out as handouts or charity.

K.


PS. As for causing a negative shift in the cosmic balance ... well Stu, you guys are on your own on that one! :lol:

[Padron]

Thank you for your opinion

[Padron]

Kei,

Spending $333 miliion anywhere is going to create jobs, and as for seeing some, not all or even $333 million of our tax money being given as a "handouts or charity" Are you so selfish that you would be opposed to helping save peoples lives?

Just think if you were born in Africa and were dying of a disease or hunger or thrist. Would you want "handouts or charity" from the richest countries in the world.

[Clown-N-Around]

I was determined not to get into this, but saw a relevent quote in an article on the G8 summit.

FWIW: In regards to how much the US government spends towards aid to Africa:
"Bush... announced last week that he would seek to double U.S. aid by 2010, to $8.6 billion from $4.3 billion last year."

http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2005/07/06/172287.html

Seems like this project is a drop in the bucket (less than a 10th)compared to what we are already spending in aid. And I would gladly give this miniscule portion of my tax money to scientific discovery about what goes on outside our atmosphere.

[Padron]

Thanks Christina,

That was a good read, and once again was only stating Africa as an example.

I still feel $333 million to study space dust is a huge waste of money no matter where our government spends it's tax revenue.

Flawed or not, That is my opinion and I stickin to it.

[Padron]

Here's one of the places I personally am glad to see a very small portion of our tax dollars at work.

http://www.flowergarden.nos.noaa.gov/welcome.html

if you get a chance to go, it's quite awesome. Swim with Whalesharks, and see some of the largest coral heads on earth.

I wish there were more National Marine preserves

[fishetcinc]

My point is that the money was spent and it was spent creating new goods and services which led to more jobs and opportunity in our economy. It was not wasted at all as you claimed.

BTW, your remark about me being "opposed to helping save peoples lives" was very inappropriate. You should stick to the topic and not rely on immature statements to make your point.

K.

[Deeparchae]

My final comments on this thread ( I hope) are these:

We cannot know the outcome of a scientific investigation until long after a particular study is complete. Who knows, there may be some discovery made from this project, or one following up on the these findings that paves the way for a magnificent energy source. If the naysayers and doubters have their way, potentially crucial fields of endeavor may never be realized. That is what I meant by shortsightedness and I stand by my statement.

Second, I was at DMNS the day after the impact, and I saw the light of fascination in childrens eyes as the video played. To me, that look, and the possibility that another Goddard or Hubble or Einstein, or Sagan was persuaded to pursue their dreams was more than worth three hundred and thirty million colored pieces of paper.

Stu, for those looks, and the possibilities created, we all owe you and your team a debt of gratitude and one hell of a big cheer.

R.A. Varney

[stugray]

Oops!

Bumped an old thread by accident. ( that doesnt happen around here.... ).

Just thought I'd mention that NASA is considering a repeat of the Deep Impact mission. We would attempt to hit the comet being observed by ESA-Rosetta.

It shouldnt upset the public tooooo much, we should be able to do it for half as much the second time ;-)


Stu

[stugray]

RIP my old friend.....

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Mars_Global_Surveyor_Mission_Ends_In_Triumph_999.html



Also - the Deep Impact mission has two extensions. One is going to explore a second comet, the other is to look for earth sized planets in other solar systems.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0611/01deepimpact/

Some reuse from old spacecraft........ maybe some taxpayer's will be happier ( espescially when we deflect the next Extinction Level Event using all that NASA 'wasted dollars' ).

http://www.space.com/news/051103_asteroid_apophis.html


Stu

[bpd964]

Interesting..

[stugray]

I thought I'd bump this one again.

To follow up on some of the rhetoric/discussion from above...

I just read the best article for why we MUST continue space exploration by one of the most noted scientists of this generation.

Read it here:
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition_08-05-2007/Space

And to quote ( for some of the above 'misled' that feel we spend too much on NASA exploration programs )

"How many times have we heard the mantra: “Why are we spending billions of dollars up there in space when we have pressing problems down here on Earth?” Let’s re-ask the question in an illuminating way: “What is the total cost in taxes of all spaceborne telescopes, planetary probes, the rovers on Mars, the space station and shuttle, telescopes yet to orbit and missions yet to fly?” Answer: less than 1% on the tax dollar—7/10ths of a penny, to be exact. I’d prefer that it were more, perhaps 2 cents on the dollar. Even during the storied Apollo era, peak NASA spending amounted to no more than 4 cents on the tax dollar. At that level, NASA’s current space-exploration program would reclaim our pre-eminence in a field we pioneered. Right now, the program paddles along slowly, with barely enough support to ever lead the journey."

And if anyone cares about the next 'grand-observatory' class spacecraft being built right here in Colorado:

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/Kepler/kepler_index.cfm

Oh, and if you think you have a good digital camera.... this one takes 400 MegaByte images every 1/10 of a second for 4 years straight without blinking! :eek1:

I'll post pics and launch details as we get closer. Launch is set for 2/09. Anyone want to tank sit for 3 months AGAIN?!?

Stu

[osprey77]

see i just think thats cool. I'd allocate a billion for something like that. I remember when hubble went online and as we watched as the first photos came through.

[miwoodar]

Wow Stu - very cool stuff. I'm glad I'm not the only geek left!

[stugray]

Time for a yearly update:

http://kepler.nasa.gov/

Our launch has slipped to April 09.

We just spent the last few days putting the spacecraft into the vacuum chamber. Oh yay, now I get to work everyday until you tell me I can stop ;-)

Stu

[PSEUDOREEFER]

I'm working ops so I get to do 2am shifts for commissioning during finals due to that delay... THE PAIN!!! I take it you're on shift for tvac? Keep an eye out for a Malcolm during next week's LASP personnel tour :lol:

[stugray]

Time to go launch this puppy:

http://kepler.nasa.gov/

We ship Dec 30 & launch first week of March.

I will post cool pics of the Flight System once the "ITAR NAZIs" get done looking at our pretty pictures.

Stu - Ready for all the "NASA wastes too much money" nay-sayers

[wanecek]

Hopefully funding isn't decreased because a new administration will be taking over. The amount of jobs and national pride the NASA programs create are very important to me.

[PSEUDOREEFER]

Currently both candidates have almost exactly the same policy for NASA funding, which supposedly includes maintaining the current level of funding. This is just what they're saying now though, so that stance could change in anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. (isn't it nice we can trust the word of our politicians?) :P

[zombiereef]

so what is the purpose of finding an earth-like planet?

[stugray]

zombiereef,

"so what is the purpose of finding an earth-like planet"

The real reason is to determine what percentage of solar systems have a similar distribution of planets as ours does after a long enough time.

That leads to determining the probability of habitable-planets in other solar systems.

To date, we have never detected an earth-sized planet anywhere other than our own solar system.

Once we have, we can focus the next generation of telescopes ( JWST will replace Hubble in the next few years... ) we will be able to IMAGE these planets.

Will it help us in the next 5 years? No.

Could it change our thinking about the world & redirect our energies? ( Religion changing events.... ) Yes.

Discovery of other habitable planets ( with life even ) WILL be the #1 most important discovery of mankind. I believe it will happen within my, or my grandchildren's lifetimes because of projects like Kepler & JWST.

Stu

[zombiereef]

isnt it already mathematically proven that other life exists on other planets?

[stugray]

Latest news:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0812/14kepler/

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0812/14kepler/kepler.jpg

I will be spending a few winter months in Florida..... Oh! The horror!! :rollface:

Stu

[Clown-N-Around]

Congrats on the successfull test. So when is the launch scheduled? Do you have a lot of steps before that?

[stugray]

Christina,

Thanks!

When we get to the cape we have to fuel with hydrazine, perform a Deep Space Network compatibility test, stack onto the third stage & move to the pad.

We launch March 5th late at night.

Stu

["Umm, fish?"]

I will be spending a few winter months in Florida..... Oh! The horror!!

Could be worse. You could be spending a few months in Santa Barbara. :) The coastline at Vandenburg has to be one of the prettiest sections of coast I've ever seen.

Or, the south Pacific.... Man, you should try for one of those launches. My buddy that works for Orbital Sciences tells me that he logs a _lot_ of SCUBA hours.

Good luck on your launch and I hope you enjoy your trip!

[stugray]

"Umm, fish?"

"Good luck on your launch and I hope you enjoy your trip!"

Thanks for the luck.

It's been cold down here, got below 40 the other day ;-)

My beachfront view drives me nuts listening to all those darn waves keeping me awake at night ;-)

Anyway, here are the latest pics:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=194

And a live video feed:

http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/elv/


The family & I got to watch a Delta 4 Heavy launch last night from my balcony. Very Cool!

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/delta/d337/

We will get to see the next shuttle launch on Feb 12th, and possibly two other launches if we slip by just a few days.

It is painful to be away from the tank even though I have three webcams & the new AC3Pro watching it.

However, I think I'll survive......;-)

Stu

[beav5000]

thats cool 310 million dollars is pretty expensive!

[stugray]

beav5000,

"thats cool 310 million dollars is pretty expensive!"

Deep Impact cost $330 Mil.

Kepler is closer to $550 Mil.

The spacecraft itself is less than $200 Mil. of the whole cost of the mission.

The rest is: Launch Vehicle, Deep Space Network assets ( big dishes around the world ), scientist's paychecks, and all of the useless over-management that a project of this size attracts.

Stu

[jasonh]

Very cool Stu.

I was actually out at Ball the other day checkin' out our new satellite getting put together. Pretty impressive place there :)

[stugray]

jasonh,

Cool! The worldview II is very leading-edge, glad you got to see it before it ships!

Here's an update for Kepler:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=194

We have completed all of the powered ground testing & are heading for fueling.

In a couple of weeks we will power it on on top of the rocket ( Delta II ).

Stu

[stugray]

cool pic:

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/images/medium/2009-1481-m.jpg


This was placing the spacecraft in the hazardous processing facility for fueling.

( much higher res. image at the link above ).

Stu

[emoore]

Very cool picture Stu. That is a pretty impressive amount of MLI! I work for the other spacecraft manufacturer in town. It is always very cool to see the complete product after so many years of hard work.

[stugray]

emoore,

"the other spacecraft manufacturer in town"

I assume you mean LMA.

If so, I worked there ~95-00 in Flight Systems.
I was on MGS, Stardust & Genesis.

They are getting more than the Lion's share of business lately :-(

Stu

[emoore]

Yes I mean LM. Unfortunately I don't get to work on the NASA missions right now but I will some day. I am a thermal analyst there.

It still sounds like Ball gets some cool NASA missions especially telescope spacecraft.

Eric

[stugray]

We are fueled and stacked on the 3rd stage.

Another cool pic:

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo101/stuartjgray/stacked.jpg

It is a little sobering working with your head right next to 1000 pounds of high explosive ;-)

Stu

["Umm, fish?"]

Ouch.... My buddy at OSC just blew up a satellite. :(

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/science/space/25satellite.html?_r=1&hp

Actually, he's on to another project now, but the Taurus was _his_ project up 'til a few months ago. Oops. Not a lot of room for oops in rockets, eh?

How's yours going, Stu? Any more pictures for us? How's the weather down there?

[stugray]

Everything is on track.
We stacked onto the rocket & performed the aliveness checks.

We are installing the fairing tonight.

As for the OCO failure.... even though it is a completely different rocket, it could hold up our launch.

NASA is trying to determine if we have any hardware common on the two boosters.

If we do, they might not give us an OK to launch until more information has been gathered.

The weather is beautiful. Its going to hit 80 this weekend.

Stu

["Umm, fish?"]

Well, I guess they technically didn't "blow up" the satellite. Just didn't quite make orbit. Sorry if it causes delays....

[stugray]

Today is the day!

All is go for liftoff tonight @ 10:49 EST ( 8:49 Mountain ).

Here is a pic of the fairing install:

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo101/stuartjgray/KP_fairing_install.jpg

We are supposedly the tallest spacecraft to launch on a Delta II.

Stu

[jasonh]

When I first saw the headline of the failed launch I was really hoping it wasn't yours Stu, glad to find out it wasn't once I read the article.

Tallest on Delta II? Not for long I'd guess....Isn't WV-2 the tallest you guys have done? :) (seem to remember someone saying something about that)

Good luck on the launch tonight!

[stugray]

Took this pic from the balcony of my condo last night:

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/oo101/stuartjgray/launch176-2000.jpg

Stu

[zombiereef]

woo hoo!

[sscherin]

Nice!

[Jerry Gonzales]

That's an awsome shot you got!!!!!!

["Umm, fish?"]

Congratulations, Stu! Do you get to come home anytime soon?

[stugray]

zombiereef,

"woo hoo!"

that is the #1 most frequent sound you hear on the video we took.


sscherin & Jerry Gonzales,

thank you ;-)


"Umm, fish?"

I'll be back on Monday to help with turning on the science instrument and getting it pointed in the right place.

I have been away from my tank for over two months now.
It will be cool to see what growth I have had in that much time.
I have been monitoring with a AC3Pro & webcams, so I know the corals are alive & all the fish are accounted for.

Mike's team at Aqua Imports has been looking after the tank & have done a fantastic job while I have been gone.
I would recommend them to anyone who needs maintenance.

They even helped to diagnose a problem with my 5Gallon bucket skimmer & got it off line before I had a 'non-linear-catastrophic-structural-exasperation' resulting on massive WOF syndrome.

( I am sure that he will be glad when I get back as he has not gotten paid yet...... I will make it up to him ;-)

Stu

[jasonh]

Congrats on the successful launch, Stu!

I'm sure you can't wait to get back :)

[stugray]

jasonh,

just so you know... we have taken a LOT of data using the Photometer with the 'dust cover' on & with the S/C at an attitude to minimize the stray light inside the instrument.

The scientists are trying to calibrate what a 'true black' is for all of the various sensors.

Next week we release the dust cover & image some real stars.

Stu

[jasonh]

Sounds cool. So once it's fully operational, I assume you guys are done with it and onto the next fun thing?

[stugray]

jasonh,

Yeah, once it is 'commissioned' and gathering the real science, it is only checked on about once a week with high rate data downloads.

We ARE the highest rate data downlink, KaBand ,deep space mission yet ;-)
We can get ~4.3 Mbps encoded. Thats about half of a 10Mbps ethernet connection.


After this I move on to the WISE mission:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer

It is to replace the WIRE spacecraft that screwed up.
It is a 'sky survey mission' that is intended to find interesting IR targets, but not to image them like Spitzer (SIRTF) or JWST can.

Stu

[stugray]

For those that are interested, we deployed the dust cover and took our first images.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/multimedia/20090416.html

They are not that impressive except to the scientists.

Some are saying that Kepler is the second most accurately pointing spacecraft NASA has ever built.

The only one better is Hubble.

Stu

[mlundstrom]

to make sure that your package made it safely into orbit. We will continue to deliver your packages on time and in one piece. :smokin:

Sincerely

ULA

[stugray]

mlundstrom,

Very nice ride indeed!

All except for the failure of the second stage separation system ( luckily the second string worked ).
Oh... and the little timer issue that separated us from the third stage a little early and left us spinning at 3 sigma rates
( which consequently caused us to overcharge the battery and drop into safe mode ).

Other than that it was perfect :smokin:

Stu