You must be joking. For the price of a manned mission, we could send 100 robotic probes. Surely, one of those will land correctly. For added science benefit, we could send those probes to 10 different comets.
Mass, availability of Pu-238, price, complexity of the design, interference from the radiation on the instruments, just to name a few things. Also, given the unknown geography, and the challenges of landing, there was a big risk anyway that it would end up with the drill sticking in empty space, and the camera facing a rock. In that case, an RTG would be a waste of resources.
So if you change the filesystem on an SDXC card after buying it there's nothing to say SDXC devices definitely won't be able to read it, just that you cannot automatically assume that they will be able to read it.
The problem with that approach is that these cards have been optimized with FAT filesystem in mind. They do this by using smaller sectors for the FAT area, and bigger sectors for the data area. Using a different filesystem can reduce speed and durability of the card.
Pioneer 10 used four SNAP-19 radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). They were positioned on two three-rod trusses, each 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length and 120 degrees apart. This was expected to be a safe distance from the sensitive scientific experiments carried on board. Each of the SNAP-19 generators was 35 pounds, not including the supporting trusses.
So, it seems you're overlooking some aspects of this issue. Namely the weight of the total generator, not just the plutonium. Also, there may be a requirement to mount the RTGs on a truss to keep them away, which would greatly complicate the design of the lander. And of course, apart from the design, mass there's also the simple cost issue. Solar panels are probably cheaper to obtain and install than plutonium based RTGs
So, why are there so few humans living on the Greenland ice sheet, the Gobi desert, or on the bottom of the oceans ? These places are all more hospitable than Mars.
Earth's crust is 5% iron. That's pure enough to make it cheaper than mining an asteroid. And unless you come up with amazing breakthroughs in technology, even mining gold on Earth is cheaper than an on asteroid.
Slashdot Mirror
Doesn't matter much, it's the same people that drive their cars that also buy supplies that require trucking.
What are they going to do when the oil runs out ?
You must be joking. For the price of a manned mission, we could send 100 robotic probes. Surely, one of those will land correctly. For added science benefit, we could send those probes to 10 different comets.
Give it another hundred years and the solar system will indeed be crawling with private robots
Private robots suggest there's profit to be made, which is rather far fetched.
Or easier, remember a passphrase and use a hash to turn it into a private key.
Mass, availability of Pu-238, price, complexity of the design, interference from the radiation on the instruments, just to name a few things. Also, given the unknown geography, and the challenges of landing, there was a big risk anyway that it would end up with the drill sticking in empty space, and the camera facing a rock. In that case, an RTG would be a waste of resources.
So if you change the filesystem on an SDXC card after buying it there's nothing to say SDXC devices definitely won't be able to read it, just that you cannot automatically assume that they will be able to read it.
The problem with that approach is that these cards have been optimized with FAT filesystem in mind. They do this by using smaller sectors for the FAT area, and bigger sectors for the data area. Using a different filesystem can reduce speed and durability of the card.
And what else ... ?
Water outside of a gravity well is propellant. Just run it past a hot nuclear pile, and it turns to steam. Voila... cheap delta-V
You have a curious notion of "cheap". How much does it cost to get your hot nuclear pile near the water supply and to operate it ?
The lander is dead, but the orbiter is still alive.
It's much easier to track people by cell phone. The advantage is that you can do that from a mile away, rather than an inch.
Pioneer 10 used four SNAP-19 radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). They were positioned on two three-rod trusses, each 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length and 120 degrees apart. This was expected to be a safe distance from the sensitive scientific experiments carried on board. Each of the SNAP-19 generators was 35 pounds, not including the supporting trusses.
So, it seems you're overlooking some aspects of this issue. Namely the weight of the total generator, not just the plutonium. Also, there may be a requirement to mount the RTGs on a truss to keep them away, which would greatly complicate the design of the lander. And of course, apart from the design, mass there's also the simple cost issue. Solar panels are probably cheaper to obtain and install than plutonium based RTGs
You can make it secure by encrypting the data that you write to the NFC chip, and then decrypt it on the phone.
On the other hand, in India you get raped on a bus ride.
He says he's still using his smart phone to make the actual payments.
Who cares what the rest of the demographic likes ?
Given a fixed budget, what part of the mission would you have taken out to replace with an RTG ?
15 minutes of fame.
We had plenty of failed Mars missions too, but people tend to forget about those.
The dirt on the brick facade is still there too.
That would depend on your frame of reference, which is completely arbitrary.
These plumes are one of the most important things to understand
Not really. We are still at the mercy of Mother Earth, whether we understand what's going on, or not.
So, why are there so few humans living on the Greenland ice sheet, the Gobi desert, or on the bottom of the oceans ? These places are all more hospitable than Mars.
Earth's crust is 5% iron. That's pure enough to make it cheaper than mining an asteroid. And unless you come up with amazing breakthroughs in technology, even mining gold on Earth is cheaper than an on asteroid.
Also, many of the Pi applications don't need a screen at all.