Re: new horizons

In article <Cqvzf.21754$Di.19210@trnddc06>,
"JUSTIN PENNELLA" <1000rronweasley@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Why only do a fly-by with the New Horizons spacecraft? I know the
> capabilities of this spacecraft are light years beyond the Voyagers and
> Pioneers (in terms of fly-bys), but why not just go ahead and put the craft
> into orbit around Pluto for long term study?

*smack* Why didn't we think of that?!?

Using chemically-fuelled rockets, the fuel required to slow down and
enter orbit is prohibitive. It takes roughly one thousand kilos of fuel
to set one kilo of spacecraft on its way to Pluto. Slowing the
spacecraft down at Pluto would take about the same 1000:1 ratio.
Putting a 500 kilo spacecraft into orbit around Pluto would thus require
launching a 500 million kilo chemical rocket. There ain't no such
animal.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: New Horizons Mission Two Pluto
    ... Why only do a fly-by with the New Horizons spacecraft? ... launched to Pluto for arrival in a reasonable period of time (bearing ... on a much slower, much longer-term mission. ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
  • New Horizons Update - December 2005
    ... I have been working on seeing the United States fly a mission to Pluto ... flight hardware at the launch pad, we probably would not have had the ... * We conducted our final mission simulations and final spacecraft ...
    (sci.space.news)
  • Clyde Tombaugh Goes To Pluto
    ... "Super Fast Spacecraft Zooms Toward Pluto ... the planet Pluto lifts off from launch pad 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air ...
    (soc.culture.baltics)
  • Re: new horizons
    ... Pluto is a long way from the Earth, so to get a spacecraft ... To go into orbit around Pluto would require a braking rocket to ... you could probably do a very nice Pluto orbit mission. ...
    (sci.space.science)
  • Re: new horizons
    ... Pluto is light, limiting the possibilities for slowing down using its ... This means that it can't be used to slow the spacecraft. ... it'd have to slow itself by rockets. ... launch as it has much more plutonium, ...
    (sci.space.science)
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