The not-New Horizons news thread

[PB666]

Rating 0.1 stars and 0 replies.

Today in non-plutonian space science.

The space station went on red-alert today when a piece of Russian satellite debris came within a mile and a half of the station.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/16/international-space-station-debris/30231057/

I was kind of bothered by this, I thought they would be able to determine with more certainty the orbital parameters of space debris.

Philea lander apparently has two commications with rosetta in the last couple of days

http://www.space.com/29969-rosetta-comet-lander-philae-signal.html

Aside from its power problem rosettas orbit appears to be complicating communication.

This one caught my eye earlier apparently researchers are farming 40 year old data about the van allen belts, and are making the claim no they are no belts but Zebra stripes of plasma

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150714131558.htm

The scientists observed 13 equally spaced lines measured by two European Space Agency Cluster satellites, and found highly structured wave spectrograms that look like a zebra pedestrian crossing.

acceleration and scattering of electrons and ions by these waves that can cause problems ranging from minor anomalies to the complete failure of critical satellites.

I wonder if anyone has calculated the amount of energy in these waves, it may be a useful source of electrical power in space, just draw out two electrodes far from a ship and see how much current it generates.

[Godot]

Rating 0.1 stars and 0 replies.

Today in non-plutonian space science.

The space station went on red-alert today when a piece of Russian satellite debris came within a mile and a half of the station.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/16/international-space-station-debris/30231057/

I was kind of bothered by this, I thought they would be able to determine with more certainty the orbital parameters of space debris.

...

The problem is not only the huge number of space debris in orbit, but also the fact that much of the debris is relatively small ... often getting smaller (and slightly changing orbit) due to collisions with other parts of debris and therefore hard/impossible to detect (with even small 1 cm sized parts of debris having enough impulse to punch a hole into unprotected spaceship parts)

And that´s only the known debris

[windows_x_seven]

I was expecting Gravity to happen.

[MrZayas1]

I was expecting Gravity to happen.

I don't think you have any clue how not funny that would be.

[MinimumSky5]

I don't think you have any clue how not funny that would be.

We've already lost 21 astronauts throughout history, there is a reason why Gravity wasn't meant to be a comedy.

[PB666]

We've already lost 21 astronauts throughout history, there is a reason why Gravity wasn't meant to be a comedy.

But not to man-made impactors. A few were lost on the ground, some lost in atmosphere (coming in appears to be slight more dangerous than going out)

[monstah]

Honestly, what's the point of making a thread to "not discuss" a specific topic?

There's already a thread about Rosetta and Philae going on, and you could have easily opened one about the ISS or about the Van Allen belts, instead of not about New Horizons.

And the Van Allen zebra stripes are old news.

[MinimumSky5]

Honestly, what's the point of making a thread to "not discuss" a specific topic?

There's already a thread about Rosetta and Philae going on, and you could have easily opened one about the ISS or about the Van Allen belts, instead of not about New Horizons.

And the Van Allen zebra stripes are old news.

I think its more a general space news thread, but for stories that by themselves do not warrant a whole new thread

[imaspacestation]

It's good someone posted these, otherwise since most major publications only focusing on one thing, these kind of news just slip through the cracks for the general public.

I'm curious to know, did anyone eventually plot out a course for that debris and simulate what could have happened if it had actually hit the space station?

I remember that time when a dead satellite collided with the MIR space station, but it didn't seem like that was a complete disaster, and nobody died. So what would happen if the ISS were hit? Do they have some kind of emergency procedures for that eventuality?

[Godot]

It's good someone posted these, otherwise since most major publications only focusing on one thing, these kind of news just slip through the cracks for the general public.

I'm curious to know, did anyone eventually plot out a course for that debris and simulate what could have happened if it had actually hit the space station?

I remember that time when a dead satellite collided with the MIR space station, but it didn't seem like that was a complete disaster, and nobody died. So what would happen if the ISS were hit? Do they have some kind of emergency procedures for that eventuality?

Well, for the worst case the always have enough Soyuz-Capsules docked to evacuate every current inhabitant of the ISS

[spudman2]

I don't think you have any clue how not funny that would be.

Especially if Clooney were involved again.

[imaspacestation]

Well, for the worst case the always have enough Soyuz-Capsules docked to evacuate every current inhabitant of the ISS

And you can fit into those while depressurized? Can the capsules be re-pressurized after?

[MinimumSky5]

It's good someone posted these, otherwise since most major publications only focusing on one thing, these kind of news just slip through the cracks for the general public.

I'm curious to know, did anyone eventually plot out a course for that debris and simulate what could have happened if it had actually hit the space station?

I remember that time when a dead satellite collided with the MIR space station, but it didn't seem like that was a complete disaster, and nobody died. So what would happen if the ISS were hit? Do they have some kind of emergency procedures for that eventuality?

That would depend completely on where it hit, but as the station is very fragile, at least half the modules would likely be broken off and the remaining parts would depressurise.

- - - Updated - - -

And you can fit into those while depressurized? Can the capsules be re-pressurized after?

I'm not quite understanding the question, the Soyuz capsule are always pressurized as the are manned transports, there is no unpressurized storage.

[Redjoker]

That would depend completely on where it hit, but as the station is very fragile, at least half the modules would likely be broken off and the remaining parts would depressurise.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm not quite understanding the question, the Soyuz capsule are always pressurized as the are manned transports, there is no unpressurized storage.

I think Imaspacestation meant that if an object collision resulted in the ISS depressurizing, could the astronauts get in the Soyuz while the station had lost pressure. If they can, is the Soyuz capable of re-pressurizing after it has depressurized by the astronauts entering it.

[MrZayas1]

We've already lost 21 astronauts throughout history, there is a reason why Gravity wasn't meant to be a comedy.

Didn't say it was a comedy, i was taken aback by his lack of care over the lives of our astronauts. Maybe im just sensitive XD

[PB666]

It's good someone posted these, otherwise since most major publications only focusing on one thing, these kind of news just slip through the cracks for the general public.

I'm curious to know, did anyone eventually plot out a course for that debris and simulate what could have happened if it had actually hit the space station?

I remember that time when a dead satellite collided with the MIR space station, but it didn't seem like that was a complete disaster, and nobody died. So what would happen if the ISS were hit? Do they have some kind of emergency procedures for that eventuality?

That was my question, I don't see how they could not know it was going to pass over a mile away if they are tracking the debris.

They had to seal off that part of the MIR, IIRC it wasn't a dead satellite it was some sort of rendevous error with Progress M34

Foale's increment proceeded fairly normally until 25 June when during the second test of the Progress manual docking system, TORU, Progress M-34 collided with solar arrays on the Spektr module and crashed into the module's outer shell, puncturing the module and causing depressurisation on the station. Only quick actions on the part of the crew, cutting cables leading to the module and closing Spektr's hatch, prevented the crews having to abandon the station in Soyuz TM-25. Their efforts stabilised the station's air pressure, whilst the pressure in Spektr, containing many of Foale's experiments and personal effects, dropped to a vacuum.^[22][58] In an effort to restore some of the power and systems lost following the isolation of Spektr and to attempt to locate the leak, EO-24 commander Anatoly Solovyev and flight engineer Pavel Vinogradov carried out a risky salvage operation later in the flight, entering the empty module during a so-called "intra-vehicular activity" or "IVA" spacewalk and inspecting the condition of hardware and running cables through a special hatch from Spektr's systems to the rest of the station. Following these first investigations, Foale and Solovyev conducted a 6-hour EVA on the surface of Spektr to inspect the damage to the punctured module.-WP

Safety wise it was a devastating but not catastrophic collision. The question whether the ISS could shut their emergency hatches if something happened. I looked at the safety training and it does not appear that there are any closable hatches, everyone had to go to the soyuz.

- - - Updated - - -

I think Imaspacestation meant that if an object collision resulted in the ISS depressurizing, could the astronauts get in the Soyuz while the station had lost pressure. If they can, is the Soyuz capable of re-pressurizing after it has depressurized by the astronauts entering it.

The station should not depressurize that quickly since most likely an undetected object would be rather small.

[K^2]

I think Imaspacestation meant that if an object collision resulted in the ISS depressurizing, could the astronauts get in the Soyuz while the station had lost pressure. If they can, is the Soyuz capable of re-pressurizing after it has depressurized by the astronauts entering it.

Yes to both. Soyuz has been designed with spacewalks in mind, so the orbital module can act as an airlock and allows entry with inflated space suit. I'm not sure if they keep door to the descent module closed. If so, then it wouldn't even need to be re-pressurized, since there is an airlock. In either case, it can be. Even if we imagined that descent module's air system was incapable of it, you can just leave the door to orbital module open and let airlock's system re-pressurize the entire vessel.

[Godot]

That was my question, I don't see how they could not know it was going to pass over a mile away if they are tracking the debris.

They had to seal off that part of the MIR, IIRC it wasn't a dead satellite it was some sort of rendevous error with Progress M34

...

I already was confused as I didn´t remember hearing of any collision between MIR and a dead satellite.

(and I don´t think that any space station could survive such a collision (unless it would be a collision due to a failed Rendezvous-Attempt with it))

But I definitely remember that there was a failed docking attempt of a Progress transporter that IIRC damaged the airlock.

If it is this one this definitely makes more sense

[MoeKitsune]

Technically related to space, scientists working at the LHCb experiment of the Large Hadron Collider confirmed the existence of pentaquarks, which I'm surprised no one here has made a thread about.

[Nibb31]

I already was confused as I didn´t remember hearing of any collision between MIR and a dead satellite.

(and I don´t think that any space station could survive such a collision (unless it would be a collision due to a failed Rendezvous-Attempt with it))

But I definitely remember that there was a failed docking attempt of a Progress transporter that IIRC damaged the airlock.

If it is this one this definitely makes more sense

You're right, the collision was a low-velocity bump with a Progress.

Depending on the home, most MMOD punctures would cause a slow decompression, which would be spotted immediately and would allow ample time to take either repair measures, shut off the failed module or to proceed with an evacuation.

The most dangerous incident would be a rapid decompression on Unity, Zvezda, or Zarya, with crewmembers on board the USOS. This would basically cut off their evacuation route. Still, they would close off the decompressed modules. The crew would still have enough time to figure out a contigency strategy. They could attempt a repair or EVA from the US airlock to the Russian segment.

[Eric S]

The station should not depressurize that quickly since most likely an undetected object would be rather small.

I was watching a documentary a few days ago, and they said that debris larger than a pea can penetrate the ISS, and most tracked objects are the size of a baseball or larger. So the stuff between the size of a pea and a baseball would be most likely to cause this kind of accident.

[K^2]

Technically related to space, scientists working at the LHCb experiment of the Large Hadron Collider confirmed the existence of pentaquarks, which I'm surprised no one here has made a thread about.

Haven't heard about that. Excellent news. They've been predicted, and pretty well studied in theory, but have not been formally observed until now. Met a few people looking for them at conferences, I bet they're having a party. Physics works, people!

[PakledHostage]

Technically related to space, scientists working at the LHCb experiment of the Large Hadron Collider confirmed the existence of pentaquarks, which I'm surprised no one here has made a thread about.

It is here: [Physics] Observation of pentaquarks. It just didn't get any traffic for some reason.

[K^2]

It is here: [Physics] Observation of pentaquarks. It just didn't get any traffic for some reason.

Well, there appears to be, what, five people on the board who know what pentaquarks are? Not really surprising that this news went under radar.

And to be fair, it's not a shattering sort of news. People have been looking for them because everything says they should exist and contribute to certain decay modes. But that's about the extent of their impact. Just another entry into the long list of experimental facts that confirm standard model.

[PB666]

Even a baseball you would have enough time to get away before all oxygen runs out. Albeit if you are in a sleep cycle . . . . . . .

Maybe we should begin a campaign of crowd sourcing the finance of an ion power drive on a big light weight cage that runs around and picks junk up.