Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Illuminati Headquarters > Daily Illuminator

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-16-2017, 11:00 PM   #1
RoboAdmin
Spam Assassin
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Here
Default September 17, 2017: Cassini Completes Its Mission To Saturn

September 17, 2017: Cassini Completes Its Mission To Saturn

Read this article on the Illuminator.
RoboAdmin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2017, 08:44 AM   #2
Koshka
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Omaha NE
Default Re: September 17, 2017: Cassini Completes Its Mission To Saturn

NASA has released a free e-book in multiple formats with a small collection of the Cassini pictures.

The Saturn System Through the Eyes of Cassini
Koshka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2017, 07:42 PM   #3
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: September 17, 2017: Cassini Completes Its Mission To Saturn

Quote:
Originally Posted by Owen Smith View Post
I thought right back when Cassini was launched "great, why weren't three built?" and now we at least have the opportunity to build two the same.
The constraints are different - different distances to Earth (and hence bit rate constraints per unit power of the transmitter), different distances to the Sun (and hence operating temperature), different flight times (which may affect your choice of radioisotope for the power supply), different delta-V requirements (and thus maximum weight for the same launch vehicle), different planetary radiation environments....

Given all that, the fact that two or three copies isn't mass produced enough to generate much cost savings, and the risk if you screwed something up the one error kills both missions, it's not difficult to understand why you don't do that. If NASA had enough money for a dozen probes at a time, maybe, but it's hard enough to get Congress to cough up money for *one*.
__________________
--
MA Lloyd
malloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.