Nuclear rocket being sent to Pluto?

Raster · Active Member Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 529

I just read an article in the news paper, that the launch of a new kind of rock has been delayed due to wind, and I think it will be delayed today from how the weather looks here (Im like maybe 50 miles away from the kenedy space center :biggrin: ). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows exactly what this whole project is about, like what are their plans? and what are the specs on this kind of rocket?\

[EDIT]

The only thing that I know, is that it's a mission to pluto, and it uses nuclear power in some sort of way.

Jacobbus · Member Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 106

I tink it is about New Hotizons.
A unmanned probe who will reach pluto in about 9 years, (If they launch it now).
It will be launced with the atlas 5 rocket, there is an atlas 5-400 and a atlas 5-500 as far as I know and probably this will be the first launch of the atlas 5-500. but I don't know that for sure.
The probe is designed to take some pictures of pluto and one of his moons, and must use nuclear power because there isn't much sunlight near pluto. and fuel is to heavy :biggrin:
but its not exactly a nuclear reactor but more some sort of tool what uses the stuf what comes from radioactive elements to make elektricity, or something like that

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

Brazucs · Posted: 18 Jan 2006 02:14:01 pm Post subject:

The great thing is that this isn't sponsored by NASA or any other government space agency. So I've heard.

alexrudd · Posted: 18 Jan 2006 06:00:29 pm Post subject:

Heh, if it gets off the ground and actually makes it to Pluto we'll know it wasn't NASA.

aforsy · Posted: 18 Jan 2006 06:26:35 pm Post subject:

"nuclear power" isn't exactly a very revolutionary idea in satelites, or rather, probes. it's the norm for anything that would get beyond where using the suns power would be more efficient.

Raster · Active Member Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 529

Newbie · Bandwidth Hog Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2247

It was launched thursday and it is from NASA.

Liazon · Posted: 22 Jan 2006 06:24:31 pm Post subject:

How many years will this trip take?

Weregoose · Posted: 22 Jan 2006 06:41:46 pm Post subject:

Newbie · Bandwidth Hog Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2247

Man he almost has as many posts as me and I joined way before he did.

Liazon · Posted: 22 Jan 2006 06:47:19 pm Post subject:

Weregoose · Posted: 22 Jan 2006 06:47:37 pm Post subject:

Of course, there's nothing wrong with any of this. Wink

It's cool by me, and I didn't mean to imply otherwise.

Newbie · Bandwidth Hog Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 2247

Just post after you have read everything the topic has to say so the same thing doesn't constantly get repeated.

alexrudd · Posted: 22 Jan 2006 10:46:00 pm Post subject:

Are we just wasting time in the hope that the rocket will make it to Pluto while this discussion is still going on?

If it takes the rocket 9 years to reach Pluto, how long will it take its pictures to reach Earth again?

bukwirm · Member Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 233

chipmaster · Active Member Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 601

[quote name='"wikipedia"']The finite speed of light became quite apparent to everybody following the communication of Houston ground control and Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to set foot on the Moon: For every question, Houston had to wait nearly 3 seconds for the answer to arrive, and would have to do so even if the astronauts replied immediately.[/quote]

aforsy · Posted: 25 Jan 2006 05:54:27 pm Post subject:

that max isn't quite right, though, as nobody's going to recieve any transmissions when Earth's on the opposite side of the sun from the probe.

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