bellinghman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bellinghman) wrote2010-12-08 10:54 am
bellinghman) wrote2010-12-08 10:54 am
Making orbit ... slowly
Japan's Akatsuki probe fails to enter Venus orbit.
Basically, it failed to slow down enough to go into orbit, and sailed on past.
On the other hand: "we may be able to try again when it passes by Venus six years from now", though given that the probe has a 4.5 year design life, that is a little optimistic.
It is, of course, now in a solar orbit that crosses Venus's orbit at ... I guess ... something of the order of 6 monthly intervals, so after a few orbits, it should indeed have another chance.
Basically, it failed to slow down enough to go into orbit, and sailed on past.
On the other hand: "we may be able to try again when it passes by Venus six years from now", though given that the probe has a 4.5 year design life, that is a little optimistic.
It is, of course, now in a solar orbit that crosses Venus's orbit at ... I guess ... something of the order of 6 monthly intervals, so after a few orbits, it should indeed have another chance.
no subject
Though on the flip side as I recall the mars rovers had a 9 month design life (or something or that order)
no subject
What's most likely is that that lifetime is how long they expected it to do orbital adjustments and the like, and is a fuel limit. If they have to expend some of that fuel on the second orbital insertion, then there may be nothing left for tweaks.