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Details of Chinese Spacecraft's Asteroid Encounter
the_newsbeagle writes "Chinese aerospace engineers have revealed, for the first time, details about their Chang'e-2 spacecraft's encounter with the asteroid Toutatis last month. They have plenty to boast: The asteroid flyby wasn't part of the original flight plan, but engineers adapted the mission and navigated the satellite through deep space (PDF). Exactly how close Chang'e-2 came to Toutatis is still unclear. The article states that the first reports 'placed the flyby range at 3.2 km, which was astonishingly—even recklessly—tight. Passing within a few kilometers of an asteroid only 2 to 3 km in diameter at a speed of 10,730 meters per second could be described as either superb shooting or a near disaster.' If the Chinese spacecraft did pass that near, it could provide a "scientific bonanza" with data about the asteroid's mass and composition."
Is anyone else concerned about the missing Iranian space monkey?
Dr. Zaius Ahmadinejad
It was a payload destined for the NYTimes, but somehow, it was re-routed.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
But was the camera Sorny, Cannonn, or Nycon?
Learn to love Alaska
that was either a Chinese satellite on a close flyby, or the joke.
It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.