Civilians in Abandoned McDonald’s Seize Control of Wandering Space Satellite

[NobleSavage]

Beat that headline.

http://betabeat.com/2014/08/civilia...s-seize-control-of-wandering-space-satellite/

For the first time in history, an independent crew is taking control of a NASA satellite and running a crowdfunded mission. They’re doing it all from a makeshift mission control center in an abandoned McDonald’s in Mountain View, CA, using old radio parts from eBay and a salvaged flat screen TV.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I thought they had found the engines don't work so they can't capture it, it's just going to head back into the black.

 

[Underseer]

That is the most epic headline ever.

 

[barbos]

I thought they had found the engines don't work so they can't capture it, it's just going to head back into the black.

You don't understand, they plan to use reactionless drive NASA just invented.

 

[Angry Floof]

You can watch the satellite's data here.

The propulsion system is out of commission but it is still sending data.

http://gizmodo.com/google-lets-you-...source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

 

[barbos]

It's in Lagrange point, does not need propulsion.
NASA simply cut the budget for receiver for this satellite in order to pursue reaction-less drive technology

 

[Loren Pechtel]

It's in Lagrange point, does not need propulsion.
NASA simply cut the budget for receiver for this satellite in order to pursue reaction-less drive technology

It's in a solar orbit. If the engines don't fire it's not going to stop. It will go out of range and be lost again.

And they quit monitoring it long, long ago--it's radios were only intended for use in the vicinity of Earth. It doesn't have the big dishes needed by deep space craft. Something of sufficient interest came along (I forget what) and the decision was made to sacrifice the probe for a look at it. It got it's look but was left heading away from Earth as a result. When it got too far away they figured that was it.

 

[barbos]

It's in Lagrange point, does not need propulsion.
NASA simply cut the budget for receiver for this satellite in order to pursue reaction-less drive technology

It's in a solar orbit. If the engines don't fire it's not going to stop. It will go out of range and be lost again.

And they quit monitoring it long, long ago--it's radios were only intended for use in the vicinity of Earth. It doesn't have the big dishes needed by deep space craft. Something of sufficient interest came along (I forget what) and the decision was made to sacrifice the probe for a look at it. It got it's look but was left heading away from Earth as a result. When it got too far away they figured that was it.

Yes lagrange orbits are solar orbits, and no, it will never get out of range, well, in million years maybe.

 

[Bomb#20]

It's in a solar orbit. If the engines don't fire it's not going to stop. It will go out of range and be lost again.

And they quit monitoring it long, long ago--it's radios were only intended for use in the vicinity of Earth. It doesn't have the big dishes needed by deep space craft. Something of sufficient interest came along (I forget what) and the decision was made to sacrifice the probe for a look at it. It got it's look but was left heading away from Earth as a result. When it got too far away they figured that was it.

Yes lagrange orbits are solar orbits, and no, it will never get out of range, well, in million years maybe.

It hasn't been orbiting a Lagrange point since it was sent off to chase comets. So it's going to be lost again, but its orbit brings it back near Earth every fifteen years or so. As long as its electronics keeps working and people keep being able to raise the money, we can pick it up again on each pass, which means actually you're both right.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

It's in a solar orbit. If the engines don't fire it's not going to stop. It will go out of range and be lost again.

And they quit monitoring it long, long ago--it's radios were only intended for use in the vicinity of Earth. It doesn't have the big dishes needed by deep space craft. Something of sufficient interest came along (I forget what) and the decision was made to sacrifice the probe for a look at it. It got it's look but was left heading away from Earth as a result. When it got too far away they figured that was it.

Yes lagrange orbits are solar orbits, and no, it will never get out of range, well, in million years maybe.

It's already spent IIRC 33 years going around the sun in a slightly different orbit than the Earth and thus out of range. Nothing has changed this.

- - - Updated - - -

Yes lagrange orbits are solar orbits, and no, it will never get out of range, well, in million years maybe.

It hasn't been orbiting a Lagrange point since it was sent off to chase comets. So it's going to be lost again, but its orbit brings it back near Earth every fifteen years or so. As long as its electronics keeps working and people keep being able to raise the money, we can pick it up again on each pass, which means actually you're both right.

Assuming it's pass by Earth doesn't mess up it's orbit.

 

[barbos]

In that case as I suggested before they should hack some reaction-less drive on it and get it back to L1.