Jupiter/Juno Mission...Anyone else following this?

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BoomerD

BoomerD

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http://spaceflight101.com/juno/juno-mission-trajectory-design/

After a nearly 5 year voyage, the Juno spacecraft entered a long orbit around Jupiter on Monday evening.

Pretty cool stuff for us old space junkies, many of us remember the very first Mercury launch...or the even earlier Sputnik launch by the then USSR.

It takes a radio signal about 33 minutes each way, 33 minutes Earth to Jupiter, then 33 minutes back, so everything that they want the craft to do has to be programmed and sent well in advance...and everything that COULD happen, happens a long time before they ever know about it.

I REALLY hope this works out like they have it planned...but there are SOOOOOOO many things that could go wrong.

BoomerD will keep his fingers crossed.
 
Hi BoomerD,

I should be following it. Mainly kept informed by TV News reports. We learned a lot from the Galileo Spacecraft when there. Many beautiful shots of the planet.

I remember the Echo Balloon satalite that orbited Earth. Remember seeing this as a youngster.
 
camperAL said:
Hi BoomerD,

I should be following it. Mainly kept informed by TV News reports. We learned a lot from the Galileo Spacecraft when there. Many beautiful shots of the planet.

I remember the Echo Balloon satalite that orbited Earth. Remember seeing this as a youngster.
Click to expand...

Dude...you went to Jupiter? Lucky stiff...how long did it take to drive there?  Got any pics?  :p

Growing up on USAF bases as a kid during the 50's and early 60's, this stuff is in my blood...
 
BoomerD,

I remember my dad waking me up to go outside to see Sputnik as it passed overhead.
 
BoomerD said:
Dude...you went to Jupiter? Lucky stiff...how long did it take to drive there?  Got any pics?  :p

Growing up on USAF bases as a kid during the 50's and early 60's, this stuff is in my blood...
Click to expand...

Hi BoomerD,

I've been within two million miles of the planet. At last only by viewing through an eyepiece and telescope.  ;)  Well the view was the same as being within two million miles while standing on Earth.

See they are going to be imagining in the clouds of the planet. Radiation coming from the planet is deadly to humans with out some sort of shielding. Not a place you would want to even try to land on. More of a failed sun than planet. Moons might offer a place to explore in the future. Io would be too hot and close to Jupiter.

Do you do any astronomy? I still want to set up sometime at a RV Forum Rally and offer views if people want to take the time to look.
 
camperAL said:
Hi BoomerD,

I've been within two million miles of the planet. At last only by viewing through an eyepiece and telescope.  ;)  Well the view was the same as being within two million miles while standing on Earth.

See they are going to be imagining in the clouds of the planet. Radiation coming from the planet is deadly to humans with out some sort of shielding. Not a place you would want to even try to land on. More of a failed sun than planet. Moons might offer a place to explore in the future. Io would be too hot and close to Jupiter.

Do you do any astronomy? I still want to set up sometime at a RV Forum Rally and offer views if people want to take the time to look.
Click to expand...

MOST of the science of this mission is so far above my head that even the Hubble telescope can't see it...but by gosh and by golly...it's still exciting to watch. I was up all night when they landed the Curiosity rover on Mars in 2012.
I USED to dabble in astronomy...but nowadays, I can barely find the moon in the night sky.  :p
 
Hi BoomerD,

I too have watched many of the robot explores that have landed on Mars, like you. I have a picture of a martian landscape on my wall with mountains in the background. I've attended both Apollo and Shuttle launches (including the Hubble Space Telescope).

As for finding the Moon, you don't have to now a days. They have computerized telescopes that you align and they find objects for you. If you can find the scope and then the eyepiece, your in business. Keep looking up!
 
Isn't it incredible?  I love looking out at the stars. We are keen to purchase a telescope to aid our viewing capability. Binoculars are ok but too wobbly. Saw a ring nebula when we were up Mauna Kea a few years ago, it was amazing. When I was young we rented a television to watch the Apollo mission! The universe is mind boggling, I often find it too much to comprehend!  :eek:
 
I'm following with keen interest too Boomer. The only magazine I subscribe to anymore, Popular Mechanics, follows this stuff daily.  I get email updates from them that often contain what is going on in space. I love it.
 
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