A carbon fiber-reinforced ceramic composite material forms an optical bench on the Juno spacecraft, scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in 2016. (Source: NASA)
That makes sense, I suppose. After reading the post last week about "space trash," I suppose these abandoned satelittes will just add to the problem. And I agree with Naperlou, that while reentry might be problematic, the ability to reexamine the physical vehicle would certainty shed some light on how composite structures fare under long-term atmospheric pressures.
Ann, I looked it up. You are correct. I think it is one of the first interplanetary flights. Of course it is only going as far as Jupiter. The solar panels are somewhat large becuase of the distance from the sun. As mentioned on the NASA web site, you are five times the distance from the earth to the sun, so since solar radiation follows a power law, you need 25 times the area you would need in earth orbit.
Beth, according to this info from Juno's original launch http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/08/ula-atlasv-nasa-juno-jupiter/ it will come back in 2013 for a flyby which will give it a gravitational assist, or slingshot, to send it all the way out to Jupiter. But there's no word about a final return, so perhaps, as Glenn says, it won't come back at all. It does carry comms equipment and will be transmitting data while it's out there.
@Ann: Thanks for another interesting article, and for another reminder that even though the shuttle program may be over, interplanetary exploration is still going strong. Besides the Juno mission to Jupiter, the Curiosity rover will be landing on Mars later this summer. There are a lot of exciting things going on.
Liquid infiltration of carbon-carbon composites is an interesting topic. You can find a good review here. To me, one of the most interesting things is that you can make a very strong ceramic composite material by pyrolizing wood which has been treated with sodium silicate. This way you can take advantage of the natural structure of wood, along with the strength of a silicon carbide ceramic.
When it comes to space applications of composites, I've been very interested in the application of shape-memory composites as actuators for the deployment of solar arrays, reflectors, and other space hardware. These materials offer a significant weight savings compared to traditional mechanical actuation systems.
naperlou; Search "Satrdust". Sample return mission from comet Wild 2. Also a Mars moon sample return is in discussion. I'm not sure if it would be Phobos or Deimos. And I think Galileo did an Earth flyby on its gravity-assist flight to Jupiter. Technically not a 'return', just a visit.
Glenn, that may have been one of the the reasons to fly Gailieo into Jupiter, but it also was able to send back some interesting information while it was plunging to its death.
Beth, I am unaware of ANY interplanetart flights that have retruned to earth. The original Vouager has now passed out of the solar system, I believe. The craft either fall into a planet or just keep on going. Becuase a lot of them use nuclear power sources (solar is not viable far from the sun), they can last for an incredible period of time. These satelites send back information and that is what they are used for. It would be interesting to recover one to observe the effects of being in space for a long time, but recovering one would be problematic.
This is probably a one way trip - I don't recall mention of a sample return function. The last Jupiter mission that I remember was Galileo, which was eventually deliberately sent into the Jovian atmosphere and destroyed. The reasoning that I heard was to prevent possible contamination of Europa, which may have a liquid ocean and possibly extra-terrestial life.
Hard to believe we can get a spacecraft to Jupiter. So if the craft gets to its destination in 2016, when is it slated to come back to earth? That's an incredible journey and one that will likely give engineers some real feedback on the durability and structural integrity of composites going forward.
Hard to believe we can get a spacecraft to Jupiter. So if the craft gets to its destination in 2016, when is it slated to come back to earth? That's an incredible journey and one that will likely give engineers some real feedback on the durability and structural integrity of composites going forward.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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