IKAROS update: rotation rate inexplicably increasing - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Jun. 7, 2010 | 09:53 PDT | 16:53 UTC JAXA's end-of-Sunday update on IKAROS' status gives more details about an issue they are working on the spacecraft. The spacecraft itself is in perfect health, but its dynamics are different from what was expected. Here's the content of the update, which I edited from the Google translation and another version helpfully posted to unmannedspaceflight.com by user "akibow." IKAROS is standing by after completion of the first-stage deployment, with the sails deployed about five meters. At present, the spin rate is increasing very slowly. This is worrisome to the IKAROS team, although the spacecraft is presently in no danger from the increased spin rate. The concern is that the team cannot explain the cause of the spin-up. Engineers are working some possible explanations. For example, it could be caused by sunlight pressure on the tilted, folded blades -- that is, the spacecraft, which now has four long blades spanning 10 meters (as in the picture below), may be acting like a pinwheel. Alternatively, it could be caused by outgassing from the sail material. Other possibilities are also being explored. The team is pausing deployment to watch the spacecraft's behavior to attempt to discern the cause of the spin-up before meeting again to determine whether to proceed with the final deployment. The reported spin rate of 7.4 rotations per minute is the same for the end of the day Sunday as it was for the end of the day Friday, so the rate of increase is clearly much smaller than 0.1 rotation per minute per day, for what that's worth. [IMG]http://planetary.org/image/P-068-18027_lg.jpg[/IMG] IKAROS first stage deployment complete Artist's concept of the IKAROS solar sail mission with the first stage of sail deployment complete. Credit: ISAS / JAXA [/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://planetary.org/blog/article/00002529/[/url] :raise:

You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Don't care? Don't reply." - GunFox))[/highlight]

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] :frogdowns: [highlight](User was banned for this post ("post containing only an emote" - GunFox))[/highlight]

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] I care. :colbert:

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] Science is awesome.

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] You need to chill out with your shit posts

We can only hope nothing bad comes from this turn of events.

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] lol...okay buddy, you aren't the voice of the people at all.

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] Since when was an anime fan's opinion important

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] But science etc etc.

This is one of our first steps into solar sail use. Problems are to be expected. Through this issue, we learn potental problems and how to deal with them in the future.

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] I care. You should too.

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] Space is truly awesome and I enjoy learning about it.

[QUOTE=Gummylamb;22444266]lol...okay buddy, you aren't the voice of the people at all.[/QUOTE] Niether are you. I think I speak for us all. :smug:

First post sodomized entire thread

I hope they figure out what is causing it to not gain spin, this thing would be awesome to see fully developed in the view of a telescope.

If the spin speed isn't still increasing then it must be the outgassing caused when the sail first started extending, right?

Probably that. I doubt sunlight reflected on a small portion of the sail that *might* be facing the Sun is enough to increase spin by any significant amount in only a few days.

[QUOTE=Pr0vologne;22445235]I hope they figure out what is causing it to not gain spin, this thing would be awesome to see fully developed in the view of a telescope.[/QUOTE] It would be kickass to see it in a telescope actually.

[QUOTE=Eudoxia;22445445]Probably that. I doubt sunlight reflected on a small portion of the sail that *might* be facing the Sun is enough to increase spin by any significant amount in only a few days.[/QUOTE] I thought that, if anything, when extending the sail the rotation would have slowed down, just like when you're spinning around in an office chair, and then you extend your arms and legs, your rotation slows down.. hmmm

[QUOTE=Kade;22445621]I thought that, if anything, when extending the sail the rotation would have slowed down, just like when you're spinning around in an office chair, and then you extend your arms and legs, your rotation slows down.. hmmm[/QUOTE] Well if there are many portions of the sail pointing at the Sun, then the total thrust on each arm of IKAROS should be zero. Unless there is only one surface exposed. You know what? Fuck it, they should include tiny robots to tend the sail, crawl up and down the arms, all such things. Add some cameras to them and you can diagnose everything.

A bit late for that now, also wouldn't they tear the sail?

[QUOTE=Pr0vologne;22445919]A bit late for that now, also wouldn't they tear the sail?[/QUOTE] Not if they are carful. And those robots could be send in a rocket that has enough fuel to catch up with the sail. Just give me ten billion dollars and an old cold war missile.

[QUOTE=ironman17;22443962]We can only hope nothing bad comes from this [b]turn[/b] of events.[/QUOTE] Either I'm the only one that noticed or the only one that cared. :smith:

They are fucked, the tip of the sails are travelling 34.8kmh already. If they don't do anything for a year it would be 198kmh. That would be like fixing a car travelling 198kmh driving in a constant 25 meter circle.

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about.[/QUOTE] How can't you care about space?! You are a child of the cosmos, 100% Star stuff! (Scientificly correct. I like cosmology, it makes serious scientists sound like New Age Wierdos)

[QUOTE=Notprobydoby;22446598]They are fucked, the tip of the sails are travelling 34.8kmh already. If they don't do anything for a year it would be 198kmh. That would be like fixing a car travelling 198kmh driving in a constant 25 meter circle.[/QUOTE] Though a car has a far higher mass...

[QUOTE=Hypothermic;22443545]You need to chill out with all these space threads that no one cares about. [/QUOTE] "Science is interesting and if you don't like it you can fuck off." - some New Scientist editor

[QUOTE=wonkadonk;22452693]"Science is interesting and if you don't like it you can fuck off." - some New Scientist editor[/QUOTE] I thought that was Richard Dawkins?

[QUOTE=Eudoxia;22452757]I thought that was Richard Dawkins?[/QUOTE] I heard it from him, but he said he was quoting a new scientist editor (though he didn't say the guy's name)