ASTRONOMY BLOG, Stardome Observatory and Planetarium
ASTRONOMY BLOG
MAY 2022
EXTENSIONS TO SOLAR SYSTEM MISSIONS
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THE MOON: LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITERThe Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been in orbit around the Moon since 2009, and will work for another three years. LRO carries a powerful camera used for mapping surface detail of the moon in high-definition, tracking down landing missions past and present, and seeking preserves of ice water on the moon. NASA will use its data in planning for its Artemis moon-landing programme that plans to land humans on the Moon by 2025. "LRO will continue to study the surface and geology of the moon," NASA stated of the extension. "The evolution of LRO's orbit will allow it to study new regions away from the poles in unprecedented detail, including the permanently shadowed craters near the poles where water ice may be found. LRO will also provide important programmatic support for NASA's efforts to return to the moon." ![]()
ASTEROIDS: OSIRIS-REXStudying asteroids allows scientists to peer back to the very beginning of our Solar System formation as asteroids are considered the ‘leftovers’ of our Solar System. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, will have another stop after dropping off pieces of asteroid Bennu at Earth in 2023. OSIRIS-REx made history when it touched down on asteroid Bennu in 2020 to collect samples for an Earth return. The probe left Bennu in 2021 and is currently en-route to Earth to return these precious asteroid samples. The spacecraft will be redirected to visit Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid that was once deemed to be a threat to Earth. NASA will re-name the spacecraft OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer (APEX) for this mission extension. The mission will orbit Apophis shortly after the asteroid safely comes within 32,000 kilometres of Earth in 2029. ![]()
MARS: MAVEN ORBITERThe Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission, or MAVEN, was launched in November 2013 to look at changes in the atmosphere of the planet. It found that over eons, gradual erosion of the atmosphere led to less running water at the surface of Mars, when pressure dropped. The extended mission, which will clock another three years, "plans to study the interaction between Mars' atmosphere and magnetic field during the upcoming solar maximum," NASA said. "MAVEN's observations as the sun's activity level increases toward the maximum of its 11-year cycle will deepen our understanding of how Mars' upper atmosphere and magnetic field interact with the sun." A key mystery of Mars was how and why it lost its water, and MAVEN helped unlock the secrets hidden in its atmosphere. Water is the key ingredient for life, and its presence, both past or current, is a key indicator in the search for life. ![]()
MARS: INSIGHT LANDERInSight landed on Mars in 2018 and has been gathering information by detecting "marsquakes" to learn more about the planet's interior and how that evolved over time. The spacecraft has been working well, aside from the failure of a below-surface probe known as a "mole" and gradual dust build-up on its solar panels. The mission has a few more months left on its mission until the end of 2022 but it may not last that long. InSight relies on solar panels to gather energy to operate. Dust build-up on the panels has blocked much of the sunlight that hits the spacecraft over time. Power levels have been dwindling for months, sometimes to a critical level, but the lander is still holding on. "The extended mission will continue InSight's seismic and weather monitoring if the spacecraft remains healthy," NASA stated. "However, due to dust accumulation on its solar panels, InSight's electrical power production is low, and the mission is unlikely to continue operations for the duration of its current extended mission unless its solar panels are cleared by a passing 'dust devil' in Mars’ atmosphere." InSight will likely be the first mission from these extensions to end, but it has completed its main science goals of understanding how the interior or Mars works. ![]()
KUIPER BELT: NEW HORIZONSNew Horizons launched in 2006 and has visited two worlds so far: the dwarf planet Pluto in 2015, and the Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth in 2019. The mission continues to fly away from the Sun towards the outer regions of our Solar System known as the Kuiper Belt, but what object it will visit next is still unknown. "The New Horizons spacecraft can potentially conduct multi-disciplinary observations of relevance to the solar system, and NASA's heliophysics and astrophysics divisions. Additional details regarding New Horizons' science plan will be provided at a later date." NASA stated. The probe will continue to wander space even after it dies, and it will join other famous spacecraft like the Voyager probes as being some of the first human-made objects to leave our solar system. ![]()
MARS: MARS ODYSSEY ORBITERThe Mars Odyssey spacecraft started work in 2001 and continues to work well in its record-breaking third decade in space. Odyssey orbits Mars and serves as a relay for other Mars spacecraft on the surface in sending their communications back to Earth. NASA has warned that the mission is running low on propellant, but it hopes to get another three-plus years from the mission. On the science side, NASA stated, "Mars Odyssey's extended mission will perform new thermal studies of rocks and ice below Mars’ surface, monitor the radiation environment, and continue its long-running climate monitoring campaign." ![]()
MARS: MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITERThe Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been in orbit around Mars since 2005 and provides a long-term view of the surface of the Red Planet. It charts changes in sand dunes, ice caps and other features and also keeps an eye on missions. The spacecraft has provided us some of the highest-resolution images of Mars’ surface ever. The camera aboard MRO is powerful enough to see and image spacecraft down on the surface of Mars. The mission should operate for another three years around Mars, but there is a possibility it could work for even longer. MRO continues its relay services for surface missions, much like the Mars Odyssey spacecraft. "In its sixth extended mission, MRO will study the evolution of Mars’ surface, ices, active geology, and atmosphere and climate. In addition, MRO will continue to provide important data relay service to other Mars missions." NASA stated. ![]() |
MARCH 2022
A HISTORY OF SPACE STATIONS
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DECEMBER 2021
ASTEROID DEFLECTION - A SCI-FI REALITY?
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If DART fails, it will still provide us with a wealth of information about how we can improve future missions to deflect asteroids. Nothing is guaranteed, but it is an exciting mission that brings very sci-fi concepts into reality. In the words of a wise astronomer, “The dinosaurs went extinct because they didn’t have a space program”. |