Mercury space probe runs out of fuel and crashes into planet

[JEDI]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/30/us/nasa-mercury-messenger-space-probe-to-crash/index.html

wonder why this probe didn't have solar panels?

also, Mercury has ice?!
even on the dark side of the planet, I would never have imagined that it's cold enuf to form ice

 

[shortylickens]

Solar Panels provide electricity, not fuel.

And the data gained was probably worth it.

 

[DesiPower]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/30/us/nasa-mercury-messenger-space-probe-to-crash/index.html

wonder why this probe didn't have solar sails?

ftfy

 

[mmntech]

These probes are on a one-way trip. Without fuel, they can't maintain a stable orbit indefinitely.

 

[shortylickens]

These probes are on a one-way trip. Without fuel, they can't maintain a stable orbit indefinitely.

Then how does the moon stay around the earth for 3 billion years?

 

[Stopsignhank]

NASA says its Messenger space probe crashed into Mercury on Thursday after running out of fuel, ending a nearly 11-year journey that provided valuable data and thousands of photos. Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, confirmed the probe slammed into the surface of Mercury, as anticipated, at 3:26 p.m. EDT, NASA told CNN in an email.
NASA earlier said the probe was expected to hit the surface at 8,750 miles per hour and to create an impact crater 52 feet (16 meters) in diameter.
The crash wasn't visible from Earth because it occurred on the far side of Mercury.
Messenger (an acronym for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) was launched in 2004 and traveled more than 6½ years before it started circling Mercury on March 18, 2011.
It was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet closest to the sun. It traveled about 5 billion miles -- a journey that included 15 trips around the sun.

I think it is safe to say that they got their money's worth out of that mission.

 

[Printer Bandit]

confirmed the probe slammed into the surface of Mercury, as anticipated



non-story

 

[MongGrel]

It just finally did what is was designed to do.

 

[HN]

I think it is safe to say that they got their money's worth out of that mission.

maybe it could have gotten more done if it didn't spend all its time on the internet tweeting

As the end neared, the probe sent back some final tweets thanking mission managers and counting down its final orbits.

 

[Sulaco]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/30/us/nasa-mercury-messenger-space-probe-to-crash/index.html

wonder why this probe didn't have solar panels?

also, Mercury has ice?!
even on the dark side of the planet, I would never have imagined that it's cold enuf to form ice

You're a moron.

 

[JSt0rm]

Then how does the moon stay around the earth for 3 billion years?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXjCPPjH4mo

 

[gorcorps]

How the hell can something launched 11 years ago send tweets?

Don't bullshit me NASA

 

[nakedfrog]

Then how does the moon stay around the earth for 3 billion years?

Because I said so.

 

[norseamd]

Then how does the moon stay around the earth for 3 billion years?

Because physics. It is "orbitally falling" to Earth right now.

 

[zinfamous]

That would probably suck if it wasn't supposed to happen.

 

[shortylickens]

Because physics. It is "orbitally falling" to Earth right now.

Then why does the fucking probe need constant fuel you fucking moron?

 

[zinfamous]

You're a moron.

Not gonna lie: this is the only reason I click on OP's threads.

 

[zinfamous]

Then why does the fucking probe need constant fuel you fucking moron?

the moon is fueled bu kitten farts

 

[Ichinisan]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/30/us/nasa-mercury-messenger-space-probe-to-crash/index.html

wonder why this probe didn't have solar panels?

also, Mercury has ice?!
even on the dark side of the planet, I would never have imagined that it's cold enuf to form ice

Nothing we've ever deployed in space could propel itself with only energy. You need propellant to send one direction so that your craft is pushed the other direction. Newtonian physics.

Check the thread about "new type of space drive discovered." Scientists are investigating a phenomenon that *seems* to generate thrust with energy alone and no propellant. It's still possible they might find a fundamental flaw in testing, but we still don't know why thrust was measured.

 

[Jeff7]

As the end neared, the probe sent back some final tweets sarcastically "thanking" mission managers and counting down its final orbits.

:hmm:

confirmed the probe slammed into the surface of Mercury, as anticipated



non-story

Shush. Just keep up the pretense that scientists and engineers are actually morons.

How the hell can something launched 11 years ago send tweets?

Don't bullshit me NASA

Relativity.

 

[norseamd]

Then why does the fucking probe need constant fuel you fucking moron?

The mass and gravity of the moon is much greater than that of the probe hence the much greater orbital durations. And even when the Earth has quite a lot more mass and gravity than Mercury the difference between the moon and the probe is obviously so great that the differences between Earth and Mercury are minor in comparison.

Every time you slingshot a spacecraft off of a planetary satellite you are stealing some of their momentum. So basically every time we do this we are shortening the potential life of Earth until it falls into the Sun. However I am sure the Sun will blow up far earlier than when the orbit of Earth ever falls into the Sun.

 

[Jeff7]

The mass and gravity of the moon is much greater than that of the probe hence the much greater orbital durations. And even when the Earth has quite a lot more mass and gravity than Mercury the difference between the moon and the probe is obviously so great that the differences between Earth and Mercury are minor in comparison.

Every time you slingshot a spacecraft off of a planetary satellite you are stealing some of their momentum. So basically every time we do this we are shortening the potential life of Earth until it falls into the Sun. However I am sure the Sun will blow up far earlier than when the orbit of Earth ever falls into the Sun.

I wonder how many Youtube or article comments will express angry concern that NASA smacked Mercury with a space probe, and since it's so close to the Sun, now it's going to get pushed in.


Pluto
Mercury

 

[dainthomas]

Because physics. It is "orbitally falling" to Earth right now.

Actually I believe the moon is spiraling away.

Edit: confirmed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbit_of_the_Moon

The Moon is gradually receding from Earth into a higher orbit, and calculations suggest that this would continue for about fifty billion years

 

[norseamd]

Actually I believe the moon is spiraling away.

Well if true then that would be because of the gravity of other objects like the Sun or Jupiter.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Because physics. It is "orbitally falling" to Earth right now.

TIL.

As for how it sends tweets my guess is it sends data to a NASA server first, then they eventually made the program to put that data on twitter.

As for solar panels, I don't think there's a way to create propulsion in space using electricity. You could electrolyse water and make hydrogen but then you have to carry water and you'd run out of that too. Fuel is higher density.