Sunday, February 25, 2024

Some Of This Won't Work -- See StrikeThroughs -- As It Is Tipped Over...


The main object lesson here is that we cannot underestimate what it takes, to land on a far off, low gravity body. That's no mean feat, from an engineering standpoint.

And this episode should bespeak additional caution, about any crewed mission toward. . . Mars. Still mostly good news, as a soft landing was achievedm true. But here's what's working -- as the science package -- at the South Pole of the Moon, right now, on Odysseus:

. . .Additional NASA hardware aboard the lander includes:

Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator: A small, CubeSat-sized experiment that will demonstrate autonomous navigation that could be used by future landers, surface infrastructure, and astronauts, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other spacecraft, ground stations, or rovers on the move.

Laser Retroreflector Array: A collection of eight retroreflectors that enable precision laser ranging, which is a measurement of the distance between the orbiting or landing spacecraft to the reflector on the lander. The array is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come.

Radio Frequency Mass Gauge: A technology demonstration that measures the amount of propellant in spacecraft tanks in a low-gravity space environment. Using sensor technology, the gauge will measure the amount of cryogenic propellant in Nova-C’s fuel and oxidizer tanks, providing data that could help predict fuel usage on future missions.

Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath: The instrument will observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there.

Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies: A suite of four tiny cameras to capture imagery showing how the Moon’s surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume during and after descent. . . .


Now, you know. Smiling. . . .

नमस्ते

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