Exploro

I think the "Emergency Mode" is the "Thruster-Controlled Safe Mode" as discussed in "Spacecraft Hybrid Control At NASA: A Look Back, Current Initiatives, & Some Future Considerations" pg 17.

Hazarding a guess; Kepler consumes more fuel to keep it's gaze fixed in a particular orientation while in this mode.

"LLLLEEENNSSSS FFFFFLAAAARRRREEEE!"

Sadly that probably won't be long. Interestingly only one platform was in the right position to make optical observations of the impact events as they occurred. The impacts occurred on Jupiter's farside. Earth based telescopes and the HST were thus unable to see the impacts take place; seeing only the impact plumes and the resulting pockmarks. Ulysses spacecraft was in the right place; but apparently it's studies focused on gathering data of radio emissions during the comet fragments collisions with the Gas Giant. Only Galileo; enroute to Jupiter, was in the right place to image some of the fragments collisions as they occurred.

Granted that the intention of this lucky astronomer was not to catch an impact upon Jupiter. But intentional observations of impact events would not be insignificant. It was the observations of the immediate aftermath of the Shoemaker Levy 9 impact events of July 1995 that we got data on the chemicals the comet impacts threw out into the Jovian atmosphere. According to a Space.com article by Elizabeth Howell the HST detected Sulfurous compounds and Ammonia. These observations provided information on the chemical composition of the Jovian atmosphere; something that was still not well understood at the time (and perhaps still an area of significant interest today). In fact the wiki page on the impact event states some of the Sulfur compounds had not been identified as constituents of Jupiter's atmosphere until after the impact plumes were examined.

The signals the survey sought need not be intended for us to be detected. We've been inadvertently filling the space around us with our radio communications out to nearly 100 light years in all directions; we can agree most of these broadcasts are not intended as messages for any neighboring civilization. But any civilization within that sphere would undoubtedly detect these transmission if they point a receiver towards the direction of the Sun. With that in mind supposing an advanced civilization existed around Tabby's Star 1480 years or so ago used such powerful optical-based communications and were only chatting with each other using these means; some of these photons would continue traveling out into space till they reached our instruments. Thus these errant and long traveled signals would still show up on SETI's VERITAS survey during the period of the survey.

By burning the hypothetical gas giant would be capable of fusing hydrogen isotopes like a brown dwarf as other have described. We are not talking about a planetary conflagration.

To my eye Jupiter is always white in hue.

I killed Bob Conducting a low altitude test flight of the LTV45. All at first was going well. I omitted the decoupler between the command pod and the engine; thinking it would not be needed. However I only ran a test simulation far enough to ensure the test objectives would be completed and ended it there. But had I completed a previous simulation to the end I'd have discovered the fatal flaw and would have redesigned the craft to include one. With that said the weight of the engine prevented the craft from slowing down enough to deploy the parachutes. By the time i realized what was wrong it was too late. The lesson; follow through a simulation to the very end; useful information can be had to prevent the loss of Kerbals.

I think OP had in mind the idea of a gas giant producing radiant energy that directly shines upon nearby objects to be sufficient enough to support lifeforms much like the Sun does for life on Earth's surface.

The internal heating within Io is not due to radiant energy emanating from Jupiter. Io's interior heating is due to the tidal kneading Jupiter and Europa subject the inner most Galilean moon to. However I should note that at one point early in the Jovain system's history; Jupiter was much more "luminous" than it is presently. If memory serves me right this was due to the residual heat left over during Jupiter's formation. Thus close in towards Jupiter; only silicates and other high temperature condensates could exist in such an radiant environment. That is why Io formed as a rocky and parched world compared to the other three Galilean moons.

Oops. I typed the wrong unit. Pascals was what I meant to state.

I still don't think so. Consider that the surface of Pluto the pressure is 1 bar. That corresponds to pressures at around 100 km above Earth's surface; at this altitude objects like spacecraft or meteors being experiencing entry effects. In other words, the impactor would crash into the surface of Pluto by the time it would begin to experience entry effects.

Not necessarily. The flyby spacecraft can maneuver in a manner that allows for observation of the ejecta; much like in the Deep Impact mission a decade ago. Such a maneuver itself would require little in the way of delta-v to accomplish; a few m/s at most.

It was educated conjecture that Pluto likely had a tenuous atmosphere even before NH confirmed it's existence. Thus a hypothetical Pluto impactor would not have been designed with to handle an atmospheric entry at all. Further I can see scientific usefulness of cataloging the material that makes up surface of bodies like Pluto. An impactor throwing out material into space for a parent probe to analyze would certainly achieve that.

Odd you would levy that criticism of the Dragon. Have you seen what Boeing would like to do with the Starliner?

This is the cockpit of F-35; the most advanced fighter jet in production. Note how spartan it is compared to previous generation combat planes. And obviously it is not a safety hazard if glass cockpits have found their way inside the Lightning II; and most other modern aircraft for that matter. I mean even the latest version of the Cessna 172 has glass panel displays. Having looked at a photo of the Dragon V2 cockpit panel it does not look out of place compare against front office of the Lightning. Obviously considering the Dragon V2 mock up is a mock up. Manual control features (like the stick, throttle lever and rudder pedals of the fighter plane above) will likely be incorporated as well as back up contingency systems.

Busting the lead balloon idiom certainly was impressive. "...If someone says it's impossible. WE JUST TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE!"

For everything there is a time and all good things come to an end. ... Back in the beginning it was an awesome show. All throughout of my College years I could count on Mythbusters being on. By about 2009-2011 it had it's stale. The recent seasons seemed to address that to some degree. My favorite episode by far was when Adam got to fly aboard a U-2. Watching the reunion show right now I feel a little sad that the series is over but hearing the tales of fans inspired by the show...even have their lives impacted by the show...the series will have a well deserved and profound legacy on this generation.

Hmmm. This news is a little disappointing.

Depending on the source the flyaway cost of an F-22 was between $100 Million and $150 Million. And to echo P1t1o point; a fighter that cost that much is certainly not an expendable machines.

No. According to this blog on the topic there just isn't enough CO2 in the atmosphere to have the vapor pressure necessary to transform from gas to solid on Earth even when polar temperatures can easily drop below the temperature for such a phase change to occur at 1 Atmosphere.

Bill flying over the ocean to the south of KSC and the Island airstrip conducting observations to fulfill a contract. He made it back safely. Not content to simply shut down on the runway and make the ground crew come out to get him he taxied up to the hangar and got out himself.

I know they are here in the house (boxed somewhere). A simple balloon inflated with the air from my lungs; your household rocket in the simplest form.

Which brings me back to the question as to why would such a project be initiated in the first place? Colonization of the surface would be more than satisfactory for our purposes.