15 Jul 13
Originally posted by menace71I'm still exploring, but its really nice so far.
http://eyes.nasa.gov/
very cool app and seems to be real time
Manny
The spacecraft I looked at, have their solar panels facing the sun, but their dishes do not face the earth. Does anyone know if they re-orient every time they wish to transmit?
16 Jul 13
Originally posted by twhiteheadI'm not sure I would think the arrays or antennas have to face generally towards earth not sure.
I'm still exploring, but its really nice so far.
The spacecraft I looked at, have their solar panels facing the sun, but their dishes do not face the earth. Does anyone know if they re-orient every time they wish to transmit?
Manny
17 Jul 13
Originally posted by twhiteheadThey use microburster rockets and gyro's but some forms of gyro's don't use moving parts but rely instead on doppler shifting light beams inside fiber optic cables that produce a change in frequency related to changes in orientation.
Does anyone know how they reorient? Is it done with gyroscopes, or rockets?
17 Jul 13
2 edits
Originally posted by sonhouseThose are gyros to detect orientation. Do they ever use gyros to actually move the spacecrafts orientation? I am just thinking that the fuel requirements would be significantly lower if you could use electric power from the solar cells rather than microbursts of fuel.
They use microburster rockets and gyro's but some forms of gyro's don't use moving parts but rely instead on doppler shifting light beams inside fiber optic cables that produce a change in frequency related to changes in orientation.
I guess I should do my own research. This is what I have found so far:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_wheel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_moment_gyroscope
Another interesting one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetorquer
20 Jul 13
Originally posted by twhiteheadThe Kepler spacecraft was put out of commission by reaction wheel failures. They talk about this on the Wikipedia page in the section Spacecraft history. I think the advantage over rockets is that you get fine control.
Those are gyros to detect orientation. Do they ever use gyros to actually move the spacecrafts orientation? I am just thinking that the fuel requirements would be significantly lower if you could use electric power from the solar cells rather than microbursts of fuel.
I guess I should do my own research. This is what I have found so far:
http://en.wik ...[text shortened]... /Control_moment_gyroscope
Another interesting one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetorquer