25 Kg satellite in lunar orbit
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Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: Nanaimo (CAC8)
25 Kg satellite in lunar orbit
I have just found out about this fascinating mission:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022...fully-arrived/
That's 1.6 ounces of thrust in old money!
This sentence sent me down a technical rabbit-hole:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/sp...craft/capstone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-r...ear_halo_orbit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_point
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_sphere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Gateway
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/L...aft/index.html

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022...fully-arrived/
The spacecraft launched at the end of June on an Electron rocket from New Zealand. Electron is the smallest rocket to launch a payload to the Moon, ...
... the vehicle burned its thruster for 16 minutes at about 0.44 Newtons, which is equivalent to the weight of about nine pieces of standard printer paper.
This sentence sent me down a technical rabbit-hole:
We received confirmation that CAPSTONE arrived in near-rectilinear halo orbit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-r...ear_halo_orbit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_point
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_sphere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Gateway
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/L...aft/index.html

Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 7,176
Likes: 295
From: Nanaimo (CAC8)
PS I've just followed up with this NASA link:
https://sservi.nasa.gov/wp-content/u...p-20171130.pdf
Some fascinating information embedded in what is one of the worst PowerPoint presentations I have ever seen!
The author has clearly not read any of Edward Tufte's books:

He's had a go at NASA before - "PowerPoint Does Rocket Science--and Better Techniques for Technical Reports"
https://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q...1yB&topic_id=1
https://sservi.nasa.gov/wp-content/u...p-20171130.pdf
Some fascinating information embedded in what is one of the worst PowerPoint presentations I have ever seen!
The author has clearly not read any of Edward Tufte's books:

He's had a go at NASA before - "PowerPoint Does Rocket Science--and Better Techniques for Technical Reports"
https://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q...1yB&topic_id=1
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 7,176
Likes: 295
From: Nanaimo (CAC8)
Hovis,
Excellent. Thank you very much. I've seen some of Scott's excellent videos before. I agree - he is the man!
What fascinates me is who thought up these orbital solutions?
Excellent. Thank you very much. I've seen some of Scott's excellent videos before. I agree - he is the man!
What fascinates me is who thought up these orbital solutions?

Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,030
Likes: 262
From: Blighty
Have you seen his video on Lagrange points? Fascinating stuff.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...

Joined: Jul 2000
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 24,546
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From: Peripatetic
There are some really great orbital mechanic gurus out there.
Remembervthe guys who bought up a a geosynch satellite had failed to reach orbit and had been written off by the insurance company?
The saved it by slingshotting it twice around the moon before slotting it into its original planned orbit….
Space Today Online - Tidbits and Lost Facts about Satellites
Remembervthe guys who bought up a a geosynch satellite had failed to reach orbit and had been written off by the insurance company?
The saved it by slingshotting it twice around the moon before slotting it into its original planned orbit….
Space Today Online - Tidbits and Lost Facts about Satellites




