Quote:
Originally Posted by BBray_T1296
Planning a trajectory with 4 assists, 2 flybys, and final orbit in mind over a 12 year period is a very easy thing to screw up
|
I actually think it's pretty amazing we don't screw it up more often. How often do we lose a space probe because we commanded it into the wrong orbit? It seems like if we can get 'em into space successfully they usually make it to their final destination. The interplanetary FedEx drivers of the world do a great job getting their packages to the intended destination.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ether
Voyager 1, Galileo, MESSENGER, and Cassini all used multiple gravity assists.
|
We looked this up at work because we were curious what the
most ridiculous trajectory is, and it looks like MESSENGER wins.
How do we know we live in the future? Two people looked at each other and seriously asked, "Did our robot just bounce off that comet?" Maybe one day bounced comet landings will be as routine as bounced airplane landings.
One space robot taking pictures of another space robot