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r4pt0r

By r4pt0r
in Science & Spaceflight

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Camacha

Camacha

Posted
Posted (edited)
I think you're not getting that all the "data" leading up to the intercept was just NASA playing with their toy (okay, testing systems and verifying things are working). All of that data was erased for the flyby where they pushed the sensors into overdrive and filled it up to the brim.

NASA didn't give a crap about the photos they've been feeding us, the real interest are the shots we haven't seen yet, the gigabytes of information they collected during the brief moments when the flyby occurred.

What is the source for that? That some early observations needed to make way for flyby ones seems only logical, but the idea that the approach was not part of the science missions sounds a little less likely.

Maybe a high risk approach should have been employed :D No backup, double data. Chances of losing half the data are increased, yet you also collect more, and the risk of losing all is just as big. If both drives/sticks go bad you are done anyway.

Death or data!

Edited by Camacha
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tater

tater

Posted
Posted

so did a bit of digging. Just to answer more completely, NH launched with two 8 gig modules of solid state memory. (one primary, one backup). pretty good considering when it went up.

Yeah, I have not seen the specs on the memory, either. With only 1 backup, it might be less dense memory for rad hard, too (scale size between elements such that a cosmic ray hit won't be as nasty).

There is also transmission time to consider given S/N issues. It will take months to dump even 8 gigs of data. Note that this is vastly more memory than Voyagers, Galileo, Cassini, etc have (kilobytes, not even MB), but they could also send data during observations.

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Camacha

Camacha

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I read the probe only uses 22 watts in full swing and that the RTG produces about 10 times that. It seems power requirements are not the reason communication is cut off.

Also, I found this about the Ralph instrument. Pretty detailed data, I would love to see other documents of the other systems.

Edited by Camacha
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Camacha

Camacha

Posted
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What is the deal exactly with this false colour and 'real' colour? I read very conflicting things about it. Some say the colourful pictures are science data, some say they are excaggerated and previously it was discussed this is only called false because the green channel is extrapolated.

I am getting a bit confused.

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lajoswinkler

lajoswinkler

Posted
Posted

The sickly, colorful, jawbreaker-like images are false colors. Channels are stretched, intensified, etc.

The beige ones are LORRI plastered with RALPH data. Green filter is missing, so that info is extrapolated. It's as real as NH can make, but not 100% realistic.

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tater

tater

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I read the probe only uses 22 watts in full swing and that the RTG produces about 10 times that. It seems power requirements are not the reason communication is cut off.

What do you mean by "cut off?" They broadcast when the spacecraft is not pointed elsewhere (doing science), when there is also a ground station available, AND they have time on that ground station. DSN has multiple craft to deal with, and they all get time allotted, so sometimes they might prefer to DL data, but DSN is busy with other spacecraft.

Given the scheduling was very choreographed, I can only assume that they might broadcast some images out of sequence so they have a fabulous image for the press today.

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LordFerret

LordFerret

Posted
Posted
Is there a dead pixel in the left ventricle?

You caught that too, eh? I actually took my little screen duster brush to it first before I realized. lol

- - - Updated - - -

Downloading and looking at it, it's an image artifact. There's another 'up' and to the 'right' of it.

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ElWanderer

ElWanderer

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Posted (edited)

The BBC live update page is teasing, saying that the first images processed from the flyby are "spectacular" (according to the scientists). Three hours until the news conference where they're expected to be shown.

Edited by ElWanderer
clarity
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rtxoff

rtxoff

Posted
Posted
I read the probe only uses 22 watts in full swing and that the RTG produces about 10 times that. It seems power requirements are not the reason communication is cut off.

Also, I found this about the Ralph instrument. Pretty detailed data, I would love to see other documents of the other systems.

Obviously this information can't be true because it doesn't make any sense, why would they put an overdimensioned RTG into the probe if they could do the same mission with a much smaller one weighting much less?

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Aethon

Aethon

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Posted (edited)

Because the Plutonium decays, causing a power loss of 3 watts per year, and they want to be able to run at least a reduced instrument load for the next 25 years or so, to get the higher tech (than Voyager/Pioneer) NH science package out past the heliosheath.

Edited by Aethon
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regex

regex

Posted
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Notice they work with Macs. Eat your heart out Winblows.
Colossal waste of money. They should spend all that money on better hardware instead of patented rounded corners. Also Linux,

E: Also, did I miss the press conference? :(

Edited by regex
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Aethon

Aethon

Posted
Posted (edited)

It's been front page http://www.nasa.gov/ all week. Minimal digging there will find it.

Alternately this. LAG BEGONE!

http://www.space.com/17933-nasa-television-webcasts-live-space-tv.html

On a side note: Why do you and RIC have no rep?

(or How RIC got his rep back daddyac. Give a dog a bone?)

Edited by Aethon
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