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They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:43 pm
by Shug
Yep, managed to land a device the size of a washing machine on a Comet 300 million miles away.
Incredible. Just incredible.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30026398
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:54 pm
by graeme
Latest update: Comet won't take back washing-machine-sized device without a receipt.
Incredible achievement. I feel very small today.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 6:09 pm
by Dominic
Impressive stuff! Hats off to them.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:42 pm
by robin
I am in awe! I love the images ... and the fact that the comet is shaped liked a rubber duck
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:34 pm
by pete
graeme wrote:Latest update: Comet won't take back washing-machine-sized device without a receipt.
Incredible achievement. I feel very small today.
Man and dog from Wigan sent to retrieve washing machine shaped object.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:52 pm
by Sanjøy
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:39 pm
by tenkfeet
Thought as space is a vacuum there was no sound, unless of course its a long screwdriver placed against comet to hear the tappets.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 12:19 am
by Ferg
Fantastic. I hope it finally stuck its landing when they hear from it again.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:13 am
by robin
Thought as space is a vacuum there was no sound, unless of course its a long screwdriver placed against comet to hear the tappets.
In space, no one can hear you scream. Obvs.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:13 am
by tut
Even more so when you look at the stats.
Planning started 20 years ago, launched 10 years ago so out of date electronics, and when they launched the lander it had no guidance on board, so had a seven hour journey on a fixed trajectory to hit a small area and miss house sized rocks. All controlled from signals being sent from 300M miles away.
Seems that it is now sending back pics. Amazing achievement and done on a budget.
tut
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:29 am
by graeme
Rosetta's journey is what blows my mind. It wasn't a 300 million mile straight line to get there. There was no way to launch Rosetta directly onto a course that would meet with the comet, so multiple gravity-assist slingshot orbits were needed around Earth, then Mars, then round Earth again, then pinged off for 5 years of sleep to meet up exactly where 67P would be. That's just amazing. Total journey distance:
4 billion miles
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 11:58 am
by pete
graeme wrote:Rosetta's journey is what blows my mind. It wasn't a 300 million mile straight line to get there. There was no way to launch Rosetta directly onto a course that would meet with the comet, so multiple gravity-assist slingshot orbits were needed around Earth, then Mars, then round Earth again, then pinged off for 5 years of sleep to meet up exactly where 67P would be. That's just amazing. Total journey distance:
4 billion miles
Just amazing. The sheer scale of the ambition that sets out to achieve that.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:29 pm
by Shug
Saw this - had to share
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:45 pm
by scott_e
Kerbal Space Program springs to mind.
Silly game but amazing if you are interested in anything related to space and really opened my eyes about difficulties I had never even considered !
Took me a month to Land on the moon , never mind trying for an asteroid.
Massive respect to the real world science community.
Re: They only bloody did it... (ESA content)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 3:58 pm
by tut
Would be interested to know in the above diagram how many of the manoeuvres were programmed in and unable to be changed, and which were transmitted to make corrections or fire thrusters.
tut