NASA to launch Probe to "Touch the Sun" 7.33am UTC, Saturday Morning
41 replies, posted
Parker Solar Probe cleared for Saturday launch to ‘touch the sun.. (spaceflightnow.com)
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/558/ef813985-eb79-41ee-9393-f28079d4bbee/image.png
A United Launch Alliance, Delta IV Heavy Rocket will launch the Parker Solar Probe to Heliocentric Orbit at 7.33am UTC from Florida on Saturday.
The mission will adjust it's orbit over several years and 7(!) Venus gravity assists, making several close approaches to our own star and in the process becoming the fastest man-made object ever.
The sheer power required for this mission involves using the full performance of the DIVH rocket and a large kick stage to send the Parker Solar Probe closer to the sun than ever before.
Live Coverage will be available on NASA TV (https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public) beginning at 7am UTC.
So if I hae this right the shield will be subjected to 1370°C, about the same as the melting point of steel.
I hear the design was basically a giant heat sink with an antenna and camera attached with heat resistant double-sided 3M tape.
The heat shield itself is made from two thin panels of carbon-carbon composite with a layer of carbon foam sandwiched in between to provide rigidity and insulation. Its sunward surface is further coated with alumina for increased reflectivity. Solar panels are mounted on water-cooled titanium platens and retract during closest approach to avoid damage. These two articles (article 1, article 2) cover it in more detail.
NASA TV is live.
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public
T-35 Minutes.
https://youtu.be/wwMDvPCGeE0
NASA YT live feed for y'all.
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/221543/38395fd5-5f45-4cf1-ab3c-a5454d783d67/1533927254634.jpg
Such a small probe for such a massive rocket. It's nice to see the Delta IV Heavy used for things other than NROL missions.
What a beauty
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/558/8e47de47-3a52-46c6-810d-fdb9610a82fd/image.png
Feels so weird not seeing the LV next to an erector.
Well duhhh, of course they're having problems. Look at it. How are they going to get to the sun when it's dark out??
Retrying!
>COM.... COM
>Go
Goddammit COM.
We're on, T - 3 minutes!
Annnnnnnnnd scrubbed.
Yup. Was watching Everyday Astronaut's stream. Shame, but it's common and it's better than blowing it all up by mistake, even if disappointing.
SCRUB
Yea, ULA's emphasis on safety is annoying sometimes but completely understandable. You don't get a 100% reliability rate across 150+ missions and 4 different rocket systems without emphasizing it heavily.
Did anybody learn what VME is? The fact they said 'VME Bus' implies it has something to do with memory, but that's a stab in the dark and Google turned up nothing useful.
They were probably referring to the rate of acceleration, meters / second / second, etc
Nah. He was referring to the top speed of around 130 miles/second during the closest approach to the sun, but instead of saying "miles per second", he said "miles per hour per second".
we really do be wanting to touch anything we see huh
Dang, why hadn't I heard about this until just now
Well you missed nothing since it was scrubbed, I believe new launch window is tomorrow so you'll still be able to catch it
New launch date is Sunday at 7.31am UTC.
If any mod could update the title of thread it would be very very love from me.
Next were gonna be sending probes to put sun in our mouth
Humanity confirmed for a gigant toddler
i wonder how a red dwarf tastes
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