In both cases, only a pilot was on board. The total required weight - 270 kilograms, or 595 pounds - was made up of the pilot, video documentation equipment and personal items selected by the staff at Rutan's company, Scaled Composites, and the X Prize foundation, including Rutan's college slide rule, a teddy bear that will be auctioned off for charity and seedlings.
And, on the first flight, the ashes of Rutan's mother. Otherwise, Rutan said, "we are not flying things that will end up on eBay and be sold or dealt with in any commercial nature at all," Rutan said before the first flight. "There's only a couple of things that are charity related, the rest are things the person who flies it has signed an agreement with us that he will not sell it, that it is for him and his family."
I think parent was referring to more test launches, not x-prize attempts per se. Like SpaceShipOne already reached the required height once before, but that flight didn't count for the prize.
Are you saying that there are no commercial satellites in Earth orbit? Nothing in the article or writeup suggested that they would develop their own launch capability in such a short timeframe.
No. Several components (4 or 5, at least that order of magnitude) have already failed or degraded. Luckily all those failures could either be repaired (the onboard computer failure on Spirit, early in the mission), or worked around (a sensor on the arm of Opportunity IIRC, degraded wheel on Spirit), or has not caused significant damage (stuck heater on Opportunity,switched off now with risk of damaging the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer). On the other hand, the solar panels power did not degrade as much as feared. (And, as other said, original mission was 90 days, not 30).
Supposedly it is a data relay satellite, intended to relay intelligence data from other spacecraft to Earth, probably replacing an older spacecraft. A codename "Quasar" is being whispered. See here. So, you might be closer to the truth than you thought when posting:)
What's wrong with creating a tar/gz/zip/whatever and mailing it to yourself? Easily scriptable, no need to use an iffy FS that could go away at any time, and easy to retrieve would you ever need them..
No, this is the lander where the cause of the crash was thought to be "spurious interrrupts" from the sensors in the landing legs, during landing. Apparently that made MPL conclude that it was already on the ground, and it cut off its engine. Boom. Also adding to the accident was bad management in the project, and too many inexperienced people on the team.
The fact that Mars has frozen water is one of the biggest discoveries of Odyssey. That is great to know, but it doesn't tell you much, only that a lot of water is currently on Mars in a frozen state.
The rovers' task is to find out how exactly that water influenced Mars in the past (and maybe even present). Long lasting huge oceans? Short wet periods? Or maybe only moist periods, not really wet at all? These science results will then be used to give a future mission a better chance of finding life, or proof of past life. If there ever was life on Mars, of course.
What would the Sun care if the moon is in the path of its protons, one AU away? It'll emit not a proton less. Or did you mean a different source of protons?
Actually, the vast majority of rocks observed by Spirit thusfar was not bedrock at all. That was one of the biggest reasons to try to climb the hills, to find bedrock.
This was not a solar powered craft, it was just a test launch using a less than impressive rocket, to test how the sail(s) would unfold in a space environment. A good test, a great project, but not a solar powered craft in any sense of the imagination.
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I think parent was referring to more test launches, not x-prize attempts per se. Like SpaceShipOne already reached the required height once before, but that flight didn't count for the prize.
The take-off was about 40 minutes later than the expected take-off time posted on spaceflightnow.com.
Are you saying that there are no commercial satellites in Earth orbit? Nothing in the article or writeup suggested that they would develop their own launch capability in such a short timeframe.
Finally a valid court case to use the chewbacca defense, when their investors start sueing.
No. Several components (4 or 5, at least that order of magnitude) have already failed or degraded. Luckily all those failures could either be repaired (the onboard computer failure on Spirit, early in the mission), or worked around (a sensor on the arm of Opportunity IIRC, degraded wheel on Spirit), or has not caused significant damage (stuck heater on Opportunity,switched off now with risk of damaging the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer). On the other hand, the solar panels power did not degrade as much as feared. (And, as other said, original mission was 90 days, not 30).
I'd say "Wow! They've discovered Jarre"
This is kinda funny since my response of "me" suggests the utter reverence of ego.
Disclaimer: beer was an important factor in reaching this conclusion.
"me" is too short for a decent password :)
Almost correct. It was 'normal' airplanes, not helicopters, in those days.
No kidding. Even my 3yo routinely disables LEDs by poking at them with pens or sticks :)
That could be very nice in ISS, provided the magnets are not so strong that they disturb any equipment. I'll bet NASA is interested.
Supposedly it is a data relay satellite, intended to relay intelligence data from other spacecraft to Earth, probably replacing an older spacecraft. A codename "Quasar" is being whispered. See here. So, you might be closer to the truth than you thought when posting :)
The name Gore comes to mind...
What's wrong with creating a tar/gz/zip/whatever and mailing it to yourself? Easily scriptable, no need to use an iffy FS that could go away at any time, and easy to retrieve would you ever need them..
Getting telefragged sux :)
No, this is the lander where the cause of the crash was thought to be "spurious interrrupts" from the sensors in the landing legs, during landing. Apparently that made MPL conclude that it was already on the ground, and it cut off its engine. Boom. Also adding to the accident was bad management in the project, and too many inexperienced people on the team.
The rovers' task is to find out how exactly that water influenced Mars in the past (and maybe even present). Long lasting huge oceans? Short wet periods? Or maybe only moist periods, not really wet at all? These science results will then be used to give a future mission a better chance of finding life, or proof of past life. If there ever was life on Mars, of course.
Yeah... but we need controversy, cover-up stories, sensationalism, doomsaying.. 't is The Internet Way!
What would the Sun care if the moon is in the path of its protons, one AU away? It'll emit not a proton less. Or did you mean a different source of protons?
You are right, I wasn't arguing about the meteorite part.. just the bedrock thingy with Spirit :)
:)
Congrats on your summer job, would love to work there. Damn ocean...
Actually, the vast majority of rocks observed by Spirit thusfar was not bedrock at all. That was one of the biggest reasons to try to climb the hills, to find bedrock.
Who cares.. as long as SCO gets sentenced :)
Ask Phil Plait.
This was not a solar powered craft, it was just a test launch using a less than impressive rocket, to test how the sail(s) would unfold in a space environment. A good test, a great project, but not a solar powered craft in any sense of the imagination.