What will become of the two cubesats deployed as part of the Insight mission?
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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)
What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?
mars artificial-satellite insight
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up vote
7
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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)
What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?
mars artificial-satellite insight
add a comment |
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)
What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?
mars artificial-satellite insight
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)
What becomes of these satellites once their primary mission is done?
mars artificial-satellite insight
mars artificial-satellite insight
asked 4 hours ago
Machavity
2,1671734
2,1671734
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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.
add a comment |
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.
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
add a comment |
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:
add a comment |
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.
add a comment |
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.
add a comment |
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.
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.
answered 4 hours ago
HDE 226868
2,33411036
2,33411036
add a comment |
add a comment |
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.
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
add a comment |
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.
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
add a comment |
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.
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.
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
add a comment |
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
add a comment |
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:
add a comment |
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:
add a comment |
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:
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:
answered 1 hour ago
Russell Borogove
77.5k2250336
77.5k2250336
add a comment |
add a comment |
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