Orraloon Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 In just over a months time the ESA Rosetta spcaecraft will reach the most important stage of it's10 year mission, when they attempt to put the lander, Philae, on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. If it succeeds it will be the first time a man made object has made a soft landing on the surface of a comet. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Rosetta_to_deploy_lander_on_12_November Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 It will be interesting to find out the general make-up of comets. It is generally thought they contain the building blocks of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcumnock Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Lego ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 It will be interesting to find out the general make-up of comets. It is generally thought they contain the building blocks of life. I am interested in the chemistry side of it as well but it takes months or sometimes years for them to analyse the data and it's not very exciting. There wont be any Eureka moments. At best they will just add a bit more to the information we already have. For me the exciting bit is that we have the technology to do it. To send a space craft half way across our solar system and then land on a tiny wee comet. It sometimes makes me wonder why we haven't managed to master the art of getting trains to run on time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcumnock Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Are comets no fast , hurtling through space ?, is it a bugs bunny elevator type landing ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Are comets no fast , hurtling through space ?, is it a bugs bunny elevator type landing ? It's all relative. The spacecraft is moving pretty fast too, depending on how you look at it. By the time the lander reaches the surface they should be travelling at almost exactly the same speed so relative to each other they will be hardly moving at all. No elevators on comets so Bugs Bunny will have to use the stair landing like everybody else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcumnock Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Ok cheers tiberius ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I am interested in the chemistry side of it as well but it takes months or sometimes years for them to analyse the data and it's not very exciting. There wont be any Eureka moments. At best they will just add a bit more to the information we already have. For me the exciting bit is that we have the technology to do it. To send a space craft half way across our solar system and then land on a tiny wee comet. It sometimes makes me wonder why we haven't managed to master the art of getting trains to run on time. Ban passengers and trains would run just fine. As for the technology part of course it is fascinating and surely the technology is now there for a manned mission to Mars. Sadly, though mankind is still so totally divided that countries want to go it alone and that is just not feasible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 countries want to go it alone and that is just not feasible. Are you Alistair Darling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Do I look like Dennis Healey's lovechild?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthTam Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Are you Alistair Darling? Can we send Alistair Darling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Yes always said he needed a rocket up his arsenal it would make a change from Gordon Brown being there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Do I look like Dennis Healey's lovechild?? I didn't like to say, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Watch it biffer or I'll biff you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Watch it biffer or I'll biff you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantyboy1983 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Ban passengers and trains would run just fine. As for the technology part of course it is fascinating and surely the technology is now there for a manned mission to Mars. Sadly, though mankind is still so totally divided that countries want to go it alone and that is just not feasible. Apparently the risk of cancer is too great to send men to Mars even with today's space suits, maybe one day though, would like to be around for this seeming as the moon landing was before my time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Apparently the risk of cancer is too great to send men to Mars even with today's space suits, maybe one day though, would like to be around for this seeming as the moon landing was before my time. Its not cancer, its the risk of getting fried by a flare. When you're out there for twelve months the risks increase, but there are multiple proposed ways to protect astronauts. Main problem is money; if govts were prepared to invest the same kind of money as was put in to go to the moon, Mars would not be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajin Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 It would also take fecking ages to get there and back. Something like 2-3 years. I'm sure you'll find eejits queueing up to do this but there's no way I'd waste that amount of life on something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 (edited) It would also take fecking ages to get there and back. Something like 2-3 years. I'm sure you'll find eejits queueing up to do this but there's no way I'd waste that amount of life on something like that.Six months each way if you time it right. Those times are about fourteen months apart though so a two and a half year mission. The fourteen months on Mars would be at a third of earth gravity; I have no idea if this level of gravity would negate the long term worries about zero/low gravity on the human body. That's probably the main concern. Test missions (robotic) will be sent to start mining water and set up other facilities which will be required for that length of stay, e.g. a facility splitting Co2 to create oxygen. So your astronauts would arrive at a base which has been, to some extent, pre-engineered and is up and running prior to their arrival, with long term water and oxygen supplies.This will happen in the next twenty to thirty years. Edited October 9, 2014 by biffer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Can we send Alistair Darling? To let him sample the best of both worlds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajin Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Image of a boulder on the surface of the comet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Image of the comet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Well that's the lander on its way should hopefully touch down sometime this afternoon. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Rosetta_and_Philae_separation_confirmed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the lunger Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Approximately 5 minutes till touchdown. Exciting stuff !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 500 million kilometres away a spacecraft has probably landed on a comet for the first time ever. Just waiting for the signal to come through to confirm it or otherwise. It takes 28 minutes for the signal to get back to earth.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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