Space Junk
July 16th 2007 02:56
Continuing from my previous post on space junk and its proliferation
Throughout the solar system and beyond.
Pioneer 10 launched in 1977 has the distinction of being the most distant earth made object to leave our solar system current estimate is that the spacecraft some 8 billion miles from the sun and heading towards the star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus the bull.
Radio data has been received thought out the 30 year journey although the signals were very weak. The last signal received by Earth stations from Pioneer 10 was in January 2003 and the signal was barely recognizable. No detectable contact has been made since then but it is possible that the space craft will continue to broadcast signals for another 6 years.
It is interesting to note that S.E.T.I the (Search for extra terrestrial intelligence) triggered a positive contact from outer space only to find that the source of the mystery signals came from Pioneer 10 an extraordinary feat given that the transmitter power of space craft was just a few watts equivalent to a very small flashlight.!!
Space craft Voyager 1 responsible for giving us our close up pictures of Jupiter and Saturn has been in space for 28 years and has almost left our solar system and is now heading towards another star system. It is still transmitting data and according to N.A.S.A will have enough power in the radioisotope thermoelectric generators to last another 13 years.
Yet another piece of space junk has hit the moons surface. The piece I am referring to is the last stage of the Saturn V rocket casing left over from the Apollo missions. It has been orbiting the earth and moon for some 30 years. The spent rocket booster impacted the moon’s surface yielded considerable seismic echoes. There is a considerable amount of instruments and equipment still in working order the remnants of the Apollo manned moon missions.
Before the first human to land on the moon there where a number of smaller robot craft several Surveyor probes landed on the moon in 1967 these space craft sent back pictures of potential landing site for Apollo mission where to follow. Surveyor 3 was the third lander of the Surveyor programme. Two years later Apollo 12 landed within waking distance of Surveyor 3.
Throughout the solar system and beyond.
Pioneer 10 launched in 1977 has the distinction of being the most distant earth made object to leave our solar system current estimate is that the spacecraft some 8 billion miles from the sun and heading towards the star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus the bull.
Radio data has been received thought out the 30 year journey although the signals were very weak. The last signal received by Earth stations from Pioneer 10 was in January 2003 and the signal was barely recognizable. No detectable contact has been made since then but it is possible that the space craft will continue to broadcast signals for another 6 years.
It is interesting to note that S.E.T.I the (Search for extra terrestrial intelligence) triggered a positive contact from outer space only to find that the source of the mystery signals came from Pioneer 10 an extraordinary feat given that the transmitter power of space craft was just a few watts equivalent to a very small flashlight.!!
Space craft Voyager 1 responsible for giving us our close up pictures of Jupiter and Saturn has been in space for 28 years and has almost left our solar system and is now heading towards another star system. It is still transmitting data and according to N.A.S.A will have enough power in the radioisotope thermoelectric generators to last another 13 years.
Yet another piece of space junk has hit the moons surface. The piece I am referring to is the last stage of the Saturn V rocket casing left over from the Apollo missions. It has been orbiting the earth and moon for some 30 years. The spent rocket booster impacted the moon’s surface yielded considerable seismic echoes. There is a considerable amount of instruments and equipment still in working order the remnants of the Apollo manned moon missions.
Surveyor 3 lander with L.E.M
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Comment by Stanley
very interesting post. i like it.