Describe the Discovery or Invention: What is Philae? Philae is a Space probe that is roughly the size of a washing machine (1 × 1 × 0.8 m), and was sent to Mars in order to explore comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It is equipped with many instruments capable of exploring, collecting data, and photographing the comet and its atmosphere with the intentions of sending the information back to earth for analysis and examination. Over 7 months ago, Philae, a space rover that was sent into space to assist the ‘Rosetta’ Spacecraft in exploring comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, was feared destroyed after launch, as it had not responded to communications from the scientists on earth. However, on the 13th of June, Philae sent a message back to earth …show more content…
Many challenges were faced during the invention, launch and deployment of Philae. Two of the most challenging included: Philae was sent into space with the purpose of investigating the surface of a comet that was orbiting the earth. It was not able to be launched from earth all the way to the comet, and therefore had to be deployed from Rosetta. One of the challenges with this is that Philae was not able to be steered, so after it was launched from Rosetta, Philae had no way of being directed specifically to the comet. Scientists had to hope that their calculations were correct, and that it was launched at the exactly right time. As previously described, another of Philae’s challenges was that when it hit the comet’s surface, its landing harpoons failed to engage correctly. Consequently, Command was not able to contact Philae and vice versa. It had skidded, jumped and flown around the surface of the comet before falling into a channel and going into hibernation due to lack sun light. Approximately 60 days later the sun’s rays reached Philae’s solar panels and it came out of hibernation and was able to contact mission …show more content…
Philae is comprised of 3 Optical Spectrometers all together. It is used to measure light over a specific area of an electromagnetic field; MRA/Microwave radio antenna: sends and collects electromagnetic signals; Radar: detects the presence, distance and speed of passing objects by sending out radio waves; OSIRIS/Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System: an infrared imaging system that is comprised of 2 camera systems and a common electronics box; VITIS/ Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer: its purpose is to assess the component of the solids in the nucleus as well as the various gases found in the coma of the comet (the next layer after the nucleus); MIRO/Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter: also involved in the process of exploring the nucleus and coma of the comet; CONSERT/Comet Nucleus Sounding Experiment by Radio wave Transmission: is an instrument that enables Philae to communicate with
The spacecraft structure greatly influenced the impact of this mission on science history. The spacecraft itself weighed 503 kilograms, or 1,108 pounds. The fuel weighed twenty-nine kilograms, or sixty-four pounds. The adapter weighed thirty kilograms, or sixty-six pounds (Hamilton 1). Measuring the spacecraft diagonally resulted in 1.39 meters, or 4.56 feet. The depth measurements came out to .457 meters, or 1.5 feet (Hamilton 1). Two solar panels were strategically placed on top, both 2.7 meters, otherwise known as 8.86 feet, in perimeter measurements (Hamilton 1). This eight-sided spacecraft was also equipped wi...
Studying this comets might finally unlock some of the questions we have been asking for centuries like why are we here , are we just some random accident, what is our purpose. Most members of the scientific community and some outside of it believe in evolution the ideal that we evolved from single celled organisms in the ocean; some scientists believe that this water came with the necessary nutrients and minerals for evolutionary life to begin (Lauren, 2014). Sure there have been other mission in space many in fact landing on the moon, sending robot to versus to name a few, but I don't believe that they are going to have as much of an impact as this comet mission will. These are just a few things that make this mission so unique and important because is going to help use learn more about our selves, our world and the worlds around
High precision spectrometers such as HARPS are required to preform observations as very high signal to noise ratio. HARPS is a high resolution fiber-fed echelle spectrograph. To maximize the chance of detecting an exoplanet certain requirements have to be met by potential targets. The targets chosen to be studied by HARPS are selected from COR...
On Earth, the most widespread advanced robot computers run by remote. With no purpose for a self-sustaining robot to patrol the planet, only a small amount of money for engineers and inventors to improve these robots circulates the economy. When dealing with other planets, self-sustaining rovers come in really handy. The latest Mars Rover, Curiosity, currently carries out its mission to sample Martian soil. The rover’s mast stands at just over seven feet tall, with the body at about half the height. The equipment on Curiosity equals the same as an entire geological laboratory, compacted into the size of a car. Thanks to NASA’s efforts to minimize geological instruments to fit the dimensions, geologists now benefit f...
This comet's pattern was discovered by Edmond Halley an english astronomer in 1705 using isaacs nutions ideas of gravity . The nucleus of this comet is ellipsoidal and measures 10 by 5 by 5 miles. Halley's comet is darker than coal only reflecting 4% of the sun's rays! Halley can get from 0.57 to 35 Astronomical Units away from the sun!
All instruments aboard the SOHO spacecraft fall under one of the following headings based on what area of the Sun it is suppose to observe and measure: the solar interior, the solar atmosphere, or the solar wind. The solar interior instruments such as GOLF (Global Oscillations at Low Frequencies) and VIRGO (Variability of Solar Irradiance and Gravity Oscillations) both perform oscillation measurements of the full solar disk which obtains information concerning the solar nucleus. In addition, the instruments that measure the solar atmosphere such as the CDS (Coronal Diagnostics Spectrometer) and UVCS (Ultraviolet Coronograph Spectrometer) observe both the inner and outer corona. They obtain measurements of temperature, density, composition, and velocity in the corona with high resolution. Finally, the instruments that analyze and measure the solar wind include ERNE (Energetic and Relativistic Nuclei and Electron experiment) and CELIAS (Charge, Element, and Isotope Analysis System) which measure the charge state and isotopic composition of ions in the solar wind. These two instruments also determine the charge and isotopic composition of energetic particles generated by the Sun.
A comet is categorized as an icy body that discharges gas or dust. Most comets that are visible from earth seem to travel in long ovals around the sun. Comets consist of a nucleus which is bounded by fuzzy or cloudy atmosphere and it might have a tail or two. The gases in the comet’s coma and tail are bright reflective so that allows us to see comets a lot better when they are closer to the sun. Astronomers also trust that comets release the energy they store from the sun causing them to glow.
Comets and asteroids. They are some of the first celestial bodies that humans observed and truly thought about. From ancient cultures interpreting these near-Earth objects as signs of disaster, to 18th century Europeans studying their paths, to even the extinction of the dinosaurs, comets and asteroids have always been prevalent in the majority of Earth’s history. These objects have intrigued the human race for generations, and continue to do so today. These similar subjects of fascination have many unique and interesting characteristics and a rich history with Earth.
On the evening of October 1, 1847, just half past ten, Maria Mitchell discovered a comet now known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”, which not only earned her a gold medal by King of Denmark, Frederick VI, but also the becoming the first women ever to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Science in 1848 (“Maria Mitchell Biography”). Evidently
Britain's Royal Astronomical Society hosted an international meeting of experts on the asteroid impact threat in December. In January the world's astronomers petitioned Australia's government to fund a special asteroid-detecting telescope. In February NASA announced the "Workshop on Scientific Requirements for Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids," which will be conducted in Washington in September. In March, NASA activated "Sentry," a new system to monitor near-Earth objects (NEOs) and assess their threat to Earth.
The most technologically advanced part about the telescope is its mirrors and optical capturing system. “The HST is a large reflecting telescope whose mirror optics gather light from c...
Research News Planetary Scientists are Seeing the Unseeable Richard A. Kerr Science, New Series, Vol. 235, No. 2 -. 4784. The. Jan. 2, 1987, pp. 113-117. 29-31. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Stable URL:
In the past years, many space probes have been launched for many different reasons. They have visited all of the planets in our solar system besides Pluto. The earliest space probes to be launched in the United States were the Mariner Series. They investigated Mercury, Venus, and Mars. The Mariner II flew within 35,400 km of the surface of Venus. (1) It sent information back to Earth about Venus’s atmosphere, rotation period, and information on its magnetic field. Mariner 10 has been the only space probe to reach Mercury so far. Another space probe, Helios I came within
Figure 1.3 – Schematic representation of the operation of a FTIR spectrometer equipped with a Michelson interferometer. The interferogram obtained from a monochromatic source is illustrated (John 2006 (15)).
On October 4th, 1957, history was made when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite. The Sputnik I was only the size of a beach ball, it only weighed 183.9 lbs., and it was the marker for the “space race” between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It was a huge technological achievement that caught the world’s attention and wound up making Americans disappointed that the U.S. did not send the first satellite into space. U.S. citizens were also concerned that if the Soviet Union could send satellites into space then they could posses the power to send ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons. Then, the Soviets raised the bar by sending Laika, the first living thing in space with a much heavier payload on November 3rd. Laika, meaning “barker” in Russian, was a stray mutt that was only three years old when she went to space. Laika was sent to space in a restrictive spacecraft that only had enough room...