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| 09:39 AM | ||
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| 09:39 AM | ||
A Close Formation of Satellites | |
Dr. Astro Senior Forum Moderator  User ID: 72181208  United States05/09/2016 09:22 PM  Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | The MMS mission is studying magnetic reconnection between the earth and sun. Recently they became the tightest formation of satellites after reducing their spacing to 6 miles, and also hold the records for the fastest and the highest altitude functioning GPS receiver. [link to www.nasa.gov (secure)] Of course all those records may have been broken at some point by classified military satellites, either US or otherwise, but for civilian satellites it's not too shabby. I tracked them in orbit last night, in spite of their exceptionally low altitude over the horizon. They became significantly dimmer over time as they ascended towards apogee, but I was dead asleep by then and unable to compensate by increasing the exposure time. Still, you can see how dramatically changed the formation appears after it re-emerged from being obscured by a tree. The satellites are designed to reach their optimal formation near apogee (the farthest point from earth in the orbit) and becomes more elongated near perigee (the closest point to earth). Last Edited by Astromut on 05/09/2016 09:22 PM  |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 71497051 United States05/09/2016 09:43 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Pooch User ID: 68879988  Canada05/09/2016 09:44 PM  Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| curry nosher User ID: 72183479  Nepal05/09/2016 09:45 PM  Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| chuckslik User ID: 71561295 Canada05/09/2016 09:48 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I live in an area that's very dark at night. I've had lots of bonfires and lots of time to look at the sky. I've seen satellites zip by and also formations like these. But I focus on shapes and lines. Fairly easy if you just relax and take time to scan the sky. some drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle |
| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 09:48 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 71497051 United States05/09/2016 09:50 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher Changing the drag profile is one way, it's slow but if you've seen solar sails it's possible. One side has more surface area and can degrade the orbit fastest in the velocity direction. There are other ways i'm sure. |
| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 09:50 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I live in an area that's very dark at night. Quoting: chuckslik I've had lots of bonfires and lots of time to look at the sky. I've seen satellites zip by and also formations like these. But I focus on shapes and lines. Fairly easy if you just relax and take time to scan the sky. NOSS satellites fly in formation, but they're much farther spaced apart than this. This view is through an 8" telescope, by eye these satellites are too dim to see, and too close together to resolve as individual points by the end. To give you some idea of scale, you couldn't quite fit the full moon in the entire field of view of this camera. Last Edited by Astromut on 05/09/2016 09:50 PM |
| curry nosher User ID: 72183479 Nepal05/09/2016 09:51 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] Cheers, so how do they get it so exact that they stay together? It must take some minute adjustments to make it so they dont drift over time etc? Also, what is the purpose or advantage of having sats so close together? Last Edited by curry nosher on 05/09/2016 09:52 PM |
| Flatz Dominoz User ID: 51712919 United States05/09/2016 09:53 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] So u were wrong. (In peter graves voice style). Could they snap a picture of the curvy earth from out there? |
| Flatz Dominoz User ID: 51712919 United States05/09/2016 09:53 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] So u were wrong. (In peter graves voice style). Could they snap a picture of the curvy earth from out there? |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 72183987 United States05/09/2016 09:54 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 09:55 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] So u were wrong. (In peter graves voice style). Where did I say it didn't have a propulsion system? Oh right, I didn't, you pulled that out of your ass. |
| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 09:57 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Great videography. Do you happen to know how far away they are? Do they reflect sunlight all night? Quoting: Anonymous Coward 72183987 At perigee they're a bit above 1000 km, at apogee they're at about 70000 km altitude. They generally have line of sight to the sun throughout the night. Off the top of my head they were about halfway to apogee by the end of the video, but I'd have to look up the exact numbers. |
| *Link* User ID: 72149575 United States05/09/2016 10:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 10:03 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] Cheers, so how do they get it so exact that they stay together? It must take some minute adjustments to make it so they dont drift over time etc? Also, what is the purpose or advantage of having sats so close together? Yup, it takes a careful management of the orbits. Controlling the spacing of the vehicles allows them to vary the scale of the plasma processes they observe and study. [link to ntrs.nasa.gov] |
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| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 10:09 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
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| curry nosher User ID: 72184026 Nepal05/09/2016 10:12 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | How do they reduce their spacing by 6 miles if they have no propulsion system? Quoting: curry nosher "The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft. The propulsion system is a mono-propellant blowdown system with 12 thrusters sized to achieve both small formation maintenance maneuvers and large apogee raise maneuvers. Approximately 360 kg of propellant will be contained in four titanium tanks per spacecraft." [link to mms.gsfc.nasa.gov] Cheers, so how do they get it so exact that they stay together? It must take some minute adjustments to make it so they dont drift over time etc? Also, what is the purpose or advantage of having sats so close together? Yup, it takes a careful management of the orbits. Controlling the spacing of the vehicles allows them to vary the scale of the plasma processes they observe and study. [link to ntrs.nasa.gov] Cheers astro, you make it sound easy lol |
| Anonymous Coward User ID: 71030200 United States05/09/2016 10:13 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
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| Dr. Astro (OP) Senior Forum Moderator User ID: 72181208 United States05/09/2016 10:17 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Hey Doc, Quoting: Anonymous Coward 39647545 What about the night vision battles posted on YouTube, have you ever seen anything similar? Is it bunk? Let's just say... I could have easily claimed that the objects were in fact a triangle UFO being followed by a plasma orb and that the streaks were weapons fire from earth trying to shoot them down. Or alternatively, the triangle was a TR3B and the object behind it was a pursuing UFO catching up to it. Who would be able to prove me wrong? If I didn't tell you what it was you were looking at, how would you know? An unscrupulous person armed with this level of equipment is capable of doing some serious damage to the credibility of UFO believers everywhere... Last Edited by Astromut on 05/09/2016 10:18 PM |
| Sobriquet™ User ID: 67536071 United States05/09/2016 10:18 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Nice job. Why do they want them that close together? Government... Govern: CONTROL Ment: MIND CONTROL MIND;MIND CONTROL The terrorists attacks which will be launched in the United States will be blamed upon middle eastern religious fanatics, Christian fundamentalists, white supremacists, Patriots, or Militias. A more immediate result of these operations will be the increased use of military forces, weaponry, and equipment such as tanks and armored personnel carriers in civilian law enforcement, the suspension or elimination of Habeas Corpus, the elimination of jury trials, the attempted disarming of the American People, and the institution of martial law with show-trials conducted by a tribunal of judges. - William Cooper 1997 (RIP) "If it's TRUE, it cannot be a THEORY!" -- Kentroversy (02/23/07) The light is always stronger than the darkness. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. - Mark 13:29 |
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| Anonymous Coward User ID: 69001777 United States05/09/2016 10:22 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I am not saying that the people from NASA/SpaceX are not smart. But I am saying that they could go about it an entirely different way. Quoting: Anonymous Coward 69001777  It's convenient, NASA simply claims credit for any and all unknown phenomenon. They also employ alot of fat chicks, and hot chicks that got JPL'ed.  <-Jack parsons. Kim Jun Un ->  |
