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A NASA Satellite Almost Collided Into a Martian Moon
popularmechanics.com ^ | 03/03/2017 | By David Grossman

Posted on 03/03/2017 6:24:22 PM PST by BenLurkin

NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) is coming up on its second year studying the Red Planet's atmosphere. But it had to make an unexpected maneuver this week as it came face to face with an unlikely foe—a Martian moon named Phobos.

The larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos' defining feature is a giant crater on its surface, Stickney, and a smaller crater within that crater, Limtoc. It moves around Mars faster than Mars rotates, and it became clear last week that it was going to be on a course missing the MAVEN satellite by only seven seconds.

With a week's notice, the MAVEN spacecraft team carried out a rocket motor burn that boosted its velocity by 0.4 meters per second, which translates to a less-than-thrilling sub-mile an hour speed. But it was enough, allowing MAVEN to dodge the moon by a full two-and-a-half minutes.

(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: maven; phobos

1 posted on 03/03/2017 6:24:22 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

A close encounter could jerk the sat around.


2 posted on 03/03/2017 6:27:16 PM PST by Paladin2 (No spellcheck. It's too much work to undo the auto wrong word substitution on mobile devices.)
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To: BenLurkin

That’s a big oops.


3 posted on 03/03/2017 6:30:00 PM PST by wastedyears (Prophecy of sky Gods, the sun and moon)
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To: BenLurkin

I think NASA was just being Phobophobic.


4 posted on 03/03/2017 6:31:35 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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To: BenLurkin

And why the f*** do we spend all this effort and money on Mars ?
Deep space is a pipe dream. You may make it there, but it’s a
one way suicide mission.


5 posted on 03/03/2017 6:39:44 PM PST by wardamneagle
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To: BenLurkin
With a week's notice, the MAVEN spacecraft team carried out a rocket motor burn that boosted its velocity.......

Seems like NASA has some Mavens in control of that MAVEN

Rim Shot


Click the Pic


6 posted on 03/03/2017 6:47:56 PM PST by Fiddlstix (Warning! This Is A Subliminal Tagline! Read it at your own risk!(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: BenLurkin

Forgot to use his turn signals.


7 posted on 03/03/2017 6:54:14 PM PST by Boiler Plate ("Why be difficult, when with just a little more work, you can be impossible" Mom)
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To: BenLurkin

That’s okay. NASA “had” a satellite that actually crashed into Mars. That was an expensive oops.


8 posted on 03/03/2017 7:00:48 PM PST by Purdue77 (I can't afford a tag line.)
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To: BenLurkin

Woman driver?


9 posted on 03/03/2017 7:10:09 PM PST by moovova
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To: moovova

An Asian woman driver...

From Florida.


10 posted on 03/03/2017 7:12:00 PM PST by bar sin·is·ter
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To: moovova

NASA’s real reason for the last minute maneuver:

The EPA’s required review of the impact statement was held up in the Senate.


11 posted on 03/03/2017 7:23:04 PM PST by Oscar in Batangas (12:01 PM 1/20/2017,,,The end of an error.)
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To: wardamneagle
Paraphrasing:

And why the f*** do we spend all this effort and money on the new world ? The new territory is a pipe dream. You may make it there, but it’s a one way suicide mission.

Echos a common European outlook concerning two rediscovered continents found already inhabited, prior to achieving food self sufficiency, and before they realized an abundance of precious metals and stones were available. Then the rush ensued.

There were enough people that came, they endured the early hardships, they were able to eke a new life from the land, they developed appreciation for abundant opportunity. They then created a unique identity as a people.

So, Mars could in turn become like Saint Louis--a point to jump off into open territory.

12 posted on 03/03/2017 7:52:48 PM PST by Ozark Tom
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To: BenLurkin

That’s gonna raise their premiums if State Farm finds out.


13 posted on 03/03/2017 10:22:23 PM PST by tumblindice (America's founding fathers, all armed conservatives)
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To: wardamneagle

Yeah. They pretty much said the same thing to Columbus.


14 posted on 03/04/2017 6:23:00 AM PST by jmacusa (Election 2016. The Battle of Midway for The Democrat Party.)
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To: Ozark Tom

If libs get there in any numbers it will turn into St Louis...or Chiraq...or Nothe Korea...or Cuba........


15 posted on 03/04/2017 7:03:38 AM PST by ealgeone
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To: BenLurkin

So the science on Phobos’s orbital path and period is not settled?

“We know what the climate of the Earth will be in 200 years, but we don’t know where the moon Phobos will be in its predictable orbit a month from now.”

Back off, man. We’re scientists.


16 posted on 03/04/2017 11:53:49 AM PST by Chad N. Freud (FR is the modern equivalent of the Committees of Correspondence. Let other analogies arise.)
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To: BenLurkin
Within seven seconds of Phobos?

That could have yielded some interesting views... '-)

(That's Stickney -- with Limtoc inside it...)

17 posted on 03/04/2017 5:49:31 PM PST by TXnMA (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! REPEAT San Jacinto!!!)
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To: jmacusa

Time will tell which astronauts
have the kahoonas to make that voyage. Like Christopher.
When you have the most powerful rockets ever made
under your butt......astronauts (who I’ve met) are a different breed.
If it’s not safe, it’s no fly.


18 posted on 03/04/2017 6:15:37 PM PST by wardamneagle
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To: wardamneagle

You don’t need all the power in the world. Gravity does a lot of the work in space travel. Between planets, that is.


19 posted on 03/04/2017 7:42:18 PM PST by jmacusa (Election 2016. The Battle of Midway for The Democrat Party.)
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