What will become of the two cubesats deployed as part of the Insight mission?











up vote
7
down vote

favorite












So as part of the Insight mission, two Cubesats were also launched to relay data during landing (so data can be obtained if something goes wrong)



Cubesats



What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?










share|improve this question


























    up vote
    7
    down vote

    favorite












    So as part of the Insight mission, two Cubesats were also launched to relay data during landing (so data can be obtained if something goes wrong)



    Cubesats



    What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?










    share|improve this question
























      up vote
      7
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      7
      down vote

      favorite











      So as part of the Insight mission, two Cubesats were also launched to relay data during landing (so data can be obtained if something goes wrong)



      Cubesats



      What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?










      share|improve this question













      So as part of the Insight mission, two Cubesats were also launched to relay data during landing (so data can be obtained if something goes wrong)



      Cubesats



      What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?







      mars artificial-satellite insight






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked 4 hours ago









      Machavity

      2,1671734




      2,1671734






















          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          6
          down vote













          MarCO's primary mission isn't actually to transmit data from InSight during its entry period. That's a non-essentially function that can be done by other spacecraft, if needed. Instead, the main part of the MarCO mission is determining the functionality of cubesats during deep space missions. We've never before sent such small spacecraft this far from Earth, and the satellites are really mostly a testbed for future cubesat missions.



          In terms of their orbital trajectory - well, Emily Lakdawalla wrote about this back in March:




          With no ability to enter orbit at Mars, the MarCO spacecraft will shoot on past, remaining in solar orbit. I assume their Earth controllers will remain in contact for as long as possible.




          As I understand it, "as long as possible" is hopefully in the area of a few weeks.






          share|improve this answer




























            up vote
            4
            down vote













            Both MarCO cubesats are flying by Mars -- not in orbit. Furthermore, during their radio coverage of InSight's entry/descent/landing, their solar arrays are pointed away from the sun, towards Mars. They are on battery power, and will eventually stop transmitting when the batteries die. Then they will continue passively around the sun.



            MarCO paths






            share|improve this answer





















            • Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
              – Wayne Conrad
              2 hours ago








            • 1




              @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
              – Ross Presser
              1 hour ago










            • @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
              – Wayne Conrad
              1 hour ago








            • 1




              There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
              – Dr Sheldon
              1 hour ago






            • 1




              Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
              – Saiboogu
              1 hour ago


















            up vote
            3
            down vote













            Not an answer, but comments can't have pictures.



            After the primary mission of supporting the InSight landing, one of the MarCO sats did snap a nice picture of Mars while departing:



            enter image description here






            share|improve this answer





















              Your Answer





              StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
              return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
              StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
              StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
              });
              });
              }, "mathjax-editing");

              StackExchange.ready(function() {
              var channelOptions = {
              tags: "".split(" "),
              id: "508"
              };
              initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

              StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
              // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
              if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
              StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
              createEditor();
              });
              }
              else {
              createEditor();
              }
              });

              function createEditor() {
              StackExchange.prepareEditor({
              heartbeatType: 'answer',
              convertImagesToLinks: false,
              noModals: true,
              showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
              reputationToPostImages: null,
              bindNavPrevention: true,
              postfix: "",
              imageUploader: {
              brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
              contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
              allowUrls: true
              },
              noCode: true, onDemand: true,
              discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
              ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
              });


              }
              });














               

              draft saved


              draft discarded


















              StackExchange.ready(
              function () {
              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fspace.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f32311%2fwhat-will-become-of-the-two-cubesats-deployed-as-part-of-the-insight-mission%23new-answer', 'question_page');
              }
              );

              Post as a guest















              Required, but never shown

























              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes








              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes









              active

              oldest

              votes






              active

              oldest

              votes








              up vote
              6
              down vote













              MarCO's primary mission isn't actually to transmit data from InSight during its entry period. That's a non-essentially function that can be done by other spacecraft, if needed. Instead, the main part of the MarCO mission is determining the functionality of cubesats during deep space missions. We've never before sent such small spacecraft this far from Earth, and the satellites are really mostly a testbed for future cubesat missions.



              In terms of their orbital trajectory - well, Emily Lakdawalla wrote about this back in March:




              With no ability to enter orbit at Mars, the MarCO spacecraft will shoot on past, remaining in solar orbit. I assume their Earth controllers will remain in contact for as long as possible.




              As I understand it, "as long as possible" is hopefully in the area of a few weeks.






              share|improve this answer

























                up vote
                6
                down vote













                MarCO's primary mission isn't actually to transmit data from InSight during its entry period. That's a non-essentially function that can be done by other spacecraft, if needed. Instead, the main part of the MarCO mission is determining the functionality of cubesats during deep space missions. We've never before sent such small spacecraft this far from Earth, and the satellites are really mostly a testbed for future cubesat missions.



                In terms of their orbital trajectory - well, Emily Lakdawalla wrote about this back in March:




                With no ability to enter orbit at Mars, the MarCO spacecraft will shoot on past, remaining in solar orbit. I assume their Earth controllers will remain in contact for as long as possible.




                As I understand it, "as long as possible" is hopefully in the area of a few weeks.






                share|improve this answer























                  up vote
                  6
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  6
                  down vote









                  MarCO's primary mission isn't actually to transmit data from InSight during its entry period. That's a non-essentially function that can be done by other spacecraft, if needed. Instead, the main part of the MarCO mission is determining the functionality of cubesats during deep space missions. We've never before sent such small spacecraft this far from Earth, and the satellites are really mostly a testbed for future cubesat missions.



                  In terms of their orbital trajectory - well, Emily Lakdawalla wrote about this back in March:




                  With no ability to enter orbit at Mars, the MarCO spacecraft will shoot on past, remaining in solar orbit. I assume their Earth controllers will remain in contact for as long as possible.




                  As I understand it, "as long as possible" is hopefully in the area of a few weeks.






                  share|improve this answer












                  MarCO's primary mission isn't actually to transmit data from InSight during its entry period. That's a non-essentially function that can be done by other spacecraft, if needed. Instead, the main part of the MarCO mission is determining the functionality of cubesats during deep space missions. We've never before sent such small spacecraft this far from Earth, and the satellites are really mostly a testbed for future cubesat missions.



                  In terms of their orbital trajectory - well, Emily Lakdawalla wrote about this back in March:




                  With no ability to enter orbit at Mars, the MarCO spacecraft will shoot on past, remaining in solar orbit. I assume their Earth controllers will remain in contact for as long as possible.




                  As I understand it, "as long as possible" is hopefully in the area of a few weeks.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 4 hours ago









                  HDE 226868

                  2,33411036




                  2,33411036






















                      up vote
                      4
                      down vote













                      Both MarCO cubesats are flying by Mars -- not in orbit. Furthermore, during their radio coverage of InSight's entry/descent/landing, their solar arrays are pointed away from the sun, towards Mars. They are on battery power, and will eventually stop transmitting when the batteries die. Then they will continue passively around the sun.



                      MarCO paths






                      share|improve this answer





















                      • Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        2 hours ago








                      • 1




                        @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
                        – Ross Presser
                        1 hour ago










                      • @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        1 hour ago








                      • 1




                        There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
                        – Dr Sheldon
                        1 hour ago






                      • 1




                        Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
                        – Saiboogu
                        1 hour ago















                      up vote
                      4
                      down vote













                      Both MarCO cubesats are flying by Mars -- not in orbit. Furthermore, during their radio coverage of InSight's entry/descent/landing, their solar arrays are pointed away from the sun, towards Mars. They are on battery power, and will eventually stop transmitting when the batteries die. Then they will continue passively around the sun.



                      MarCO paths






                      share|improve this answer





















                      • Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        2 hours ago








                      • 1




                        @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
                        – Ross Presser
                        1 hour ago










                      • @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        1 hour ago








                      • 1




                        There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
                        – Dr Sheldon
                        1 hour ago






                      • 1




                        Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
                        – Saiboogu
                        1 hour ago













                      up vote
                      4
                      down vote










                      up vote
                      4
                      down vote









                      Both MarCO cubesats are flying by Mars -- not in orbit. Furthermore, during their radio coverage of InSight's entry/descent/landing, their solar arrays are pointed away from the sun, towards Mars. They are on battery power, and will eventually stop transmitting when the batteries die. Then they will continue passively around the sun.



                      MarCO paths






                      share|improve this answer












                      Both MarCO cubesats are flying by Mars -- not in orbit. Furthermore, during their radio coverage of InSight's entry/descent/landing, their solar arrays are pointed away from the sun, towards Mars. They are on battery power, and will eventually stop transmitting when the batteries die. Then they will continue passively around the sun.



                      MarCO paths







                      share|improve this answer












                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer










                      answered 3 hours ago









                      Dr Sheldon

                      3,0831338




                      3,0831338












                      • Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        2 hours ago








                      • 1




                        @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
                        – Ross Presser
                        1 hour ago










                      • @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        1 hour ago








                      • 1




                        There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
                        – Dr Sheldon
                        1 hour ago






                      • 1




                        Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
                        – Saiboogu
                        1 hour ago


















                      • Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        2 hours ago








                      • 1




                        @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
                        – Ross Presser
                        1 hour ago










                      • @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
                        – Wayne Conrad
                        1 hour ago








                      • 1




                        There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
                        – Dr Sheldon
                        1 hour ago






                      • 1




                        Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
                        – Saiboogu
                        1 hour ago
















                      Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
                      – Wayne Conrad
                      2 hours ago






                      Why don't the MarCO sats re-orient the arrays towards the sun after EDL? Do they lack the attitude gas to do that?
                      – Wayne Conrad
                      2 hours ago






                      1




                      1




                      @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
                      – Ross Presser
                      1 hour ago




                      @WayneConrad "Each MarCO's attitude-control system combines a star tracker, Sun sensors, gyroscopes and three-axis reaction wheels for monitoring and adjusting orientation. Accelerating a reaction wheel rotates the spacecraft in the opposite direction from the direction the wheel is spinning." No mention of any attitude gas at all. But I don't know why they couldn't reorient with just reaction wheels.
                      – Ross Presser
                      1 hour ago












                      @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
                      – Wayne Conrad
                      1 hour ago






                      @RossPresser JPL MarCO Micro CubeSat Propulsion System (VACCO) has something about it. You can use reaction wheels until you run out of gas to desaturate them. But I presume they still have gas left. I didn't know they had reaction wheels (such capable little bots!).
                      – Wayne Conrad
                      1 hour ago






                      1




                      1




                      There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
                      – Dr Sheldon
                      1 hour ago




                      There are thrusters, fed by a single tank. They were used for course corrections, and to de-saturate the reaction wheels. MarCO A (nicknamed WALL-E) had a leak and is believed to be out of gas. MarCO B might be able to re-orient to the sun, but being aligned to send data to Earth is a higher priority.
                      – Dr Sheldon
                      1 hour ago




                      1




                      1




                      Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
                      – Saiboogu
                      1 hour ago




                      Clearly, orienting for data transmission is important right now. That doesn't explain why they wouldn't reorient later. Many interplanetary craft aim solar and antenna by reorienting the craft repeatedly, after all.
                      – Saiboogu
                      1 hour ago










                      up vote
                      3
                      down vote













                      Not an answer, but comments can't have pictures.



                      After the primary mission of supporting the InSight landing, one of the MarCO sats did snap a nice picture of Mars while departing:



                      enter image description here






                      share|improve this answer

























                        up vote
                        3
                        down vote













                        Not an answer, but comments can't have pictures.



                        After the primary mission of supporting the InSight landing, one of the MarCO sats did snap a nice picture of Mars while departing:



                        enter image description here






                        share|improve this answer























                          up vote
                          3
                          down vote










                          up vote
                          3
                          down vote









                          Not an answer, but comments can't have pictures.



                          After the primary mission of supporting the InSight landing, one of the MarCO sats did snap a nice picture of Mars while departing:



                          enter image description here






                          share|improve this answer












                          Not an answer, but comments can't have pictures.



                          After the primary mission of supporting the InSight landing, one of the MarCO sats did snap a nice picture of Mars while departing:



                          enter image description here







                          share|improve this answer












                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer










                          answered 1 hour ago









                          Russell Borogove

                          77.5k2250336




                          77.5k2250336






























                               

                              draft saved


                              draft discarded



















































                               


                              draft saved


                              draft discarded














                              StackExchange.ready(
                              function () {
                              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fspace.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f32311%2fwhat-will-become-of-the-two-cubesats-deployed-as-part-of-the-insight-mission%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                              }
                              );

                              Post as a guest















                              Required, but never shown





















































                              Required, but never shown














                              Required, but never shown












                              Required, but never shown







                              Required, but never shown

































                              Required, but never shown














                              Required, but never shown












                              Required, but never shown







                              Required, but never shown







                              Popular posts from this blog

                              404 Error Contact Form 7 ajax form submitting

                              How to know if a Active Directory user can login interactively

                              TypeError: fit_transform() missing 1 required positional argument: 'X'