Nozomi unlikely to hit Mars
Posted: Sat, Nov 15, 2003, 7:48 PM ET (0048 GMT)
A Japanese spacecraft en route to Mars is unlikely to actually collide with the planet, despite earlier reports to the contrary. On Friday the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Nozomi would collide with Mars on December 14 unless spacecraft controllers were able to restore the spacecraft's power system so it can fire its thrusters to move into orbit. However, spacecraft manager Ichiro Nakatani told The Planetary Society that the spacecraft only has a 1% chance of hitting Mars without any trajectory correction maneuvers, and that such a maneuver is planned for December 9. Nozomi, Japan's first Mars mission, was launched in 1998 and intended to go into orbit around Mars in late 1999. However, thruster problems caused mission planners to retarget the mission for a late 2003 arrival. Since then the spacecraft has suffered a number of additional problems, including the power system problem that dates back to a solar flare in April 2002.
A Japanese spacecraft en route to Mars is unlikely to actually collide with the planet, despite earlier reports to the contrary. On Friday the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Nozomi would collide with Mars on December 14 unless spacecraft controllers were able to restore the spacecraft's power system so it can fire its thrusters to move into orbit. However, spacecraft manager Ichiro Nakatani told The Planetary Society that the spacecraft only has a 1% chance of hitting Mars without any trajectory correction maneuvers, and that such a maneuver is planned for December 9. Nozomi, Japan's first Mars mission, was launched in 1998 and intended to go into orbit around Mars in late 1999. However, thruster problems caused mission planners to retarget the mission for a late 2003 arrival. Since then the spacecraft has suffered a number of additional problems, including the power system problem that dates back to a solar flare in April 2002.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, September 9
Don’t buy into reports Space Command workers won’t come to Huntsville, industry expert says
Huntsville Times — 5:28 am ET (0928 GMT) Commanding general of U.S. Space Command pays visit to Huntsville City Hall
Huntsville Times — 5:27 am ET (0927 GMT) Derek Tournear departs as Space Development Agency director
Defensescoop — 5:26 am ET (0926 GMT) Space Development Agency director leaves post for academia
Defense News — 5:26 am ET (0926 GMT) Space Vandenberg secures $9.5 million state grant, launches Central Coast into space economy future
Lompoc Record — 5:26 am ET (0926 GMT) |
