JPL launches spacecraft into orbit via launch vehicles like Soyuz or NASA’s shuttles; each one designed for specific tasks. They must generate enough thrust to counter the force of gravity pulling down on them, but to do that they require lots of fuel. How a Spacecraft is Launched Spacecraft may be efficient machines, but their…
Engineers usually place decommissioned spacecraft into graveyard orbits to reduce the likelihood of colliding with active satellites or even other spacecraft. However, larger objects like space stations that don’t explode upon reentry are sent to a spacecraft cemetery located at Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean. What is a spacecraft cemetery? Spacecraft cemeteries are designated…
Both Voyager spacecraft are outfitted with 10 science instruments, including two cameras capable of taking detailed images of planets and their rings, magnetic fields and the interaction between light as a wave and particles. Voyager 1 returned a haunting portrait of Earth in 1990 that Carl Sagan called “Pale Blue Dot.” Since then, its data…
Attitude refers to a spacecraft’s orientation in space. To be effective and precise in its operations, its attitude must be both stabilized and controlled to precisely point its high-gain antenna, conduct experiments aboard, and perform propulsion maneuvers. Given that attitude cannot be directly measured, its estimation must be calculated through sensor readings. Attitude determination systems…
Delta-V Audio’s popular iOS granular synth, now available as desktop VSTs for both Mac OS X and Windows with MPE support and an innovative grain pitch sequencer, provides expressive pads and singing melodies. Propagator settings display four fields that influence propagation: StepSize, CentralBody, EpochFormat and StartEpoch. In particular, StartEpoch allows spacecraft ephemeris files to be…
First time ever in history, a spacecraft has touched the Sun. NASA Parker Solar Probe flew into its outer atmosphere – known as corona – and unveiled phenomena long predicted but never directly observed before. Astrophysicist and namesake of this organization, Astrid Petri is dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of solar wind that streams out…
On January 28th 1986, Challenger made history when it launched into space. Christa McAuliffe qualified for her mission through NASA’s Teacher in Space program and was chosen as part of its crew. Challenger and its nine successful voyages prior to its demise marked many important milestones. Lessons learned from its flights led to the design…
Sending humans to Mars would be an immense financial and logistical endeavor, taking two to three years on average and necessitating constant supplies of food, water and rocket fuel. Spirit and Opportunity made history on Mars by outlasting expectations, serving over six years on each rover and discovering crucial information that helped scientists better comprehend…
Mercury orbits the Sun once every 88 Earth days on an elliptical path which may bring it as close as 29 million miles or as far away as 43 million miles from our star. Magnetic reconnection between the IMF and Mercury’s planet magnetosphere is the most efficient process for mixing plasma, allowing solar wind to…
