Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Black Boxes for Spacecrafts

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the so-many-raunchy-jokes-to-choose-from dept.

karvind writes "NewScientist is running story about NASA's plan to put small, heat-resistant black boxes that will transmit data back to Earth when future space probes break up during re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. NASA will work with Aerospace Corporation to develop black boxes called Reentry Breakup Recorders (REBRs) weighing just 1 kilogram and spanning less than 30 centimetres."

6 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Good luck finding it by nakly · · Score: 4, Informative
    They've already thought of that. From the article:
    The heat from the craft's explosion would trigger the boxes to detach - perhaps by melting the adhesive that fixes them to the CEV. Then, as they fall to Earth, the boxes would transmit their data, obviating any need to retrieve them later.
  2. The plural of 'craft' by tagish · · Score: 3, Informative

    is 'craft', not 'crafts' :)

    --
    Andy Armstrong
  3. Re:Phone Home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    RTFA
    It transmits its data on the way down, so you don't need to retrieve it.

  4. Re:Phone Home by qw(name) · · Score: 2, Informative
    are recorded in briefcase-sized black boxes that can be retrieved and studied in the wake of a crash.
    ...
    Instead, flight data is continuously beamed to Earth using satellites - a stream that stops abruptly during a catastrophe like the break-up of the shuttle Columbia in February 2003.
    I think maybe it is you who needs to re-read the article.
  5. Re:"When" they break up? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    For unmanned stuff, the goal is when, not if. You want this stuff to breakup on reentry so fewer (and smaller) pieces reach the ground, possibly causing damage.

  6. Re:Phone Home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    Nice edit job there dude. How about in context:

    Aeroplane speed and altitude data, as well as pilot conversations, are recorded in briefcase-sized black boxes that can be retrieved and studied in the wake of a crash.

    I'll spell it out for you - this is how aircraft black boxes work.

    Instead, flight data is continuously beamed to Earth using satellites - a stream that stops abruptly during a catastrophe like the break-up of the shuttle Columbia in February 2003.

    This is the comm systems on the spacecraft, which depend on spacecraft power and control. When it breaks up, all of this goes with it.

    They would quietly take data during the flight, but would only "activate" in the event of a major disaster. The heat from the craft's explosion would trigger the boxes to detach - perhaps by melting the adhesive that fixes them to the CEV.Then, as they fall to Earth, the boxes would transmit their data, obviating any need to retrieve them later.

    The REBR, by comparison, is self contained. It doesn't depend on spacecraft power - or at least it doesn't after separation. This is how the spacecraft black boxes will work.