ESA to proceed with MARSIS deployment
Posted: Wed, Jun 8, 2005, 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT)
The European Space Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to go ahead later this month with the deployment of a second 20-meter radar boom on its Mars Express spacecraft, confident that problems experienced last month have been resolved. The boom will be extended between June 13 and 21, officials said, under a deployment scenario altered slightly than the one used for the first boom last month. During the first boom's deployment one of the hinges failed to lock into place, a problem resolved when the spacecraft was reoriented to allow sunlight to heat the balky hinge. Once the second boom is fully extended and locked, ESA plans to begin commissioning of a radar instrument that will use the booms to search for subterranean water on Mars as well as study the planet's ionosphere. Deployment of the boom was originally planned for a year ago but was delayed because of concerns that the boom could whiplash during deployment and damage the spacecraft.
The European Space Agency announced Tuesday that it plans to go ahead later this month with the deployment of a second 20-meter radar boom on its Mars Express spacecraft, confident that problems experienced last month have been resolved. The boom will be extended between June 13 and 21, officials said, under a deployment scenario altered slightly than the one used for the first boom last month. During the first boom's deployment one of the hinges failed to lock into place, a problem resolved when the spacecraft was reoriented to allow sunlight to heat the balky hinge. Once the second boom is fully extended and locked, ESA plans to begin commissioning of a radar instrument that will use the booms to search for subterranean water on Mars as well as study the planet's ionosphere. Deployment of the boom was originally planned for a year ago but was delayed because of concerns that the boom could whiplash during deployment and damage the spacecraft.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, August 23
SpaceX accelerating India operations? Hiring for Starlink throws up a surprise
Republic World (India) — 8:57 am ET (1257 GMT) Nepal Rejects Musk’s Demand for Full Ownership, Starlink Service Expansion Put on Hold
Hindusthan Samachar — 8:56 am ET (1256 GMT) A SpaceX Rocket Is This Island’s Most Talked About Visitor
Wall Street Journal — 8:49 am ET (1249 GMT) Alan Joyce’s Musk monopoly warning over in-flight Wi-Fi
Sydney Morning Herald — 8:44 am ET (1244 GMT) “ISRO Will Not Make Any Launch Vehicles”: IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka Says Manufacturing Work Will Be Handed to Private Sector
NewsGram (India) — 8:42 am ET (1242 GMT) |
