Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Flipside on September 11, 2014, 11:00:57 pm

Title: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on September 11, 2014, 11:00:57 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29044139

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77527000/jpg/_77527037_image.jpg)

That's the comet in the top there (obviously), from about 50km away :)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: deathfun on September 11, 2014, 11:38:49 pm
Scieeeeeeeence!

Space is awesome
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Nuke on September 12, 2014, 04:40:42 am
all that money and no color camera. sad, very sad.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on September 12, 2014, 04:46:03 am
To be honest, almost every image sent back from deep space probes are black and white at first, colour is often extrapolated.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Luis Dias on September 12, 2014, 06:03:05 am
it's full of starsss.......



wait no, that's wrong ****. wait. there are no stars there.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on September 12, 2014, 06:07:01 am
It's a faaaaake!!

Sorry....
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Luis Dias on September 12, 2014, 06:52:05 am
Pure propaganda ****. This photo was taken in Hollywood. We all know murica has lost the ability to make starships ever since they killed Hitler, the only one who knew anything about rocketry in Earth, for he was contacted by our true lords in saucer ships.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Mongoose on September 12, 2014, 06:18:53 pm
Wow, look at those close-up photos.  I would not want to attempt landing Kerbals on that thing.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Nuke on September 13, 2014, 05:54:54 am
landing kerbals on a rock is easy, its making them stick thats hard.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Sarkoth on September 13, 2014, 06:57:44 am
The last three posts just made my day a lot brighter. Thanks guys.

And fake or not, the photo looks amazingly awesome. Even in black and white.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on September 15, 2014, 12:57:07 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29201988

Landing site has been chosen. I'm still hedging my bets over a safe touchdown, it's an incredibly risky mission, but I really, really hope it works out.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Nuke on September 25, 2014, 04:37:02 am
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/09/19/4090826.htm

pictures now feature (siumulated) color.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Lorric on September 28, 2014, 10:10:23 pm
It's a breathtaking picture, isn't it?

The date has been determined for the attempt to land on the comet: November 12th:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29380448

One for the calendar. It's exciting, isn't it? Nothing like this has ever been done before! I hope it succeeds. :)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 12, 2014, 01:29:38 am
Landing Day.

Should be noted that the landing thrusters are not working properly, they are having to rely entirely on the hook and grapple system, so this is going to be one heck of a mission.

I'll be watching with my fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Scourge of Ages on November 12, 2014, 02:16:54 am
Landing Day.

http://www.xkcd.com/1446/
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: headdie on November 12, 2014, 03:05:01 am
Separation confirmed
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 12, 2014, 03:30:11 am
Landing Day.

http://www.xkcd.com/1446/

As in, today is the day on which the landing will be attempted. You know, that thing we've been discussing in this thread? ;)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Kopachris on November 12, 2014, 05:23:24 am
Pure propaganda ****. This photo was taken in Hollywood. We all know murica has lost the ability to make starships ever since they killed Hitler, the only one who knew anything about rocketry in Earth, for he was contacted by our true lords in saucer ships.

Pssssst... Rosetta was built and launched by the European Space Agency!
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: headdie on November 12, 2014, 05:58:58 am
Radio contact with the lander is confirmed and the telemetry looks normal :D
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 12, 2014, 06:03:41 am
Feeling quite psyched about this now, whether it works or not, this has been an incredible achievement.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Kopachris on November 12, 2014, 09:20:09 am
Picture of Rosetta taken by Philae on its descent:

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/78938000/jpg/_78938518_78938517.jpg)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 12, 2014, 10:06:39 am
Looks like touchdown!

****ing awesome!

Edit: Looks like they are just checking the telemetry to see just how well the lander dealt with it, but it does appear they are receiving a signal from the probe.

Confirmed, touchdown has happened and communications say it is holding position on the surface.

Absolutely incredible achievement.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: watsisname on November 12, 2014, 10:44:07 am
So awesome!  Can't wait to see the first surface shots.

Way to go, ESA!
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 12, 2014, 10:45:21 am
It appears that the anchors did not fire, so they cannot confirm that it is attached to the surface firmly. They may try re-firing them to secure position, but we will have to wait for more information before we know more. The first pictures from the landed probe should be arriving soon, so they'll take things from there.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Lorric on November 12, 2014, 12:06:27 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30022469

Why not just get the tattoo after the mission succeeds? Badass tattoo though.

Look at his top and his other tattoos. Now there's a man who definitely marches to the beat of his own drum. :)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Hellzed on November 12, 2014, 12:43:37 pm
From what I read, we'll have no more pictures tonight. Top priority is trying to fire the harpoons (drilling will not be possible without a firm anchoring).
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Phantom Hoover on November 12, 2014, 12:59:25 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30022469

Why not just get the tattoo after the mission succeeds? Badass tattoo though.

Look at his top and his other tattoos. Now there's a man who definitely marches to the beat of his own drum. :)

he's a physicist for god's sake, they're basically competitively eccentric
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Lorric on November 12, 2014, 01:02:06 pm
Live news feed:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/science-environment-29985988

EDIT: Google's doodle is now about this mission. :)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 13, 2014, 04:26:40 am
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/78956000/jpg/_78956329_b2ubldriqaarjid.jpg)

First shot from the surface, the team are still trying to ascertain the orientation of the final resting point of the probe, seems it bounced more than once, initially launching itself back up 100's of metres from the surface before settling back down again, so it's a testament to the design of the probe that it is still working and sending data.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Dragon on November 13, 2014, 07:24:15 am
A few hundred meters isn't much on a comet. Remember, it's a tiny piece of matter, there's almost no gravity to speak of. This is less like landing and more like docking, as anyone who did anything around Gilly or Bop in KSP can attest.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 13, 2014, 07:37:55 am
The thing is, normally when a probe like this doesn't work first time round, it's more or less done for because of the 30 minute delay in being able to react. Admittedly, Giotto got tipped around when it got near Halleys Comet and took a face full of particle, but still managed to fix itself, so it's not unknown.

I just hope they manage to fix it to the surface hard enough to start taking samples.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: MP-Ryan on November 13, 2014, 11:19:19 am
I just hope they manage to fix it to the surface hard enough to start taking samples.

After reading this, I did a little digging, and what I want to know is how the hell did the ESA pack a gas chromatograph and mass spec with fully automated capabilities requiring no human input or reagent mixing into a lander the size of a washing machine?!?!

Technology is amazing.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 13, 2014, 11:35:17 am
I suspect, though, that they are wishing they had included a back-up power supply...

Still, it's a learning situation, and one of the things we have learned is 'when landing on a comet, don't assume that adequate sunlight will be available'

NOTE : I'm not criticizing, I'm just saying that this is something that may be worth considering in future situations, which is sort of the point of missions such as these.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: MP-Ryan on November 13, 2014, 11:47:44 am
Sounds like they're hoping the deployment of a couple of the instruments will shift Philae's position a bit so it gets a little more direct sunlight.

I'm still stunned by the incredible amount of knowledge that went into parking a lander on the surface of a hunk of rock floating through space with a distance-time-delay from Earth of nearly half an hour.  The feat is staggering.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 13, 2014, 12:10:34 pm
Agreed, it's why I get so annoyed when people say that Space Exploration is pointless and we gain nothing from it for the money, particularly when they do so from a computer with things like IC's etc. Miniaturization has been one of the greatest successes of the Space Program, as the ability to include stuff like Mass Specs onto a washing-machine sized lander proves.

As an aside, a relative of mine worked on the imaging systems for this mission, so I am kind of biased :)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: watsisname on November 13, 2014, 12:12:51 pm
Wow, they're thinking the first (of probably several) bounces took ~2 hours and reached ~1km height and ground range.  All from a first contact at barely 1m/s.  Weak comet gravity is weak!

Having done Gilly landings in KSP, I can totally appreciate how nerve wracking this situation would be, combined with the half hour time delay...

I suspect, though, that they are wishing they had included a back-up power supply...

Nah, that would add weight to a system where every trimmed gram is precious.  You don't need back up power if the landing goes as planned, but the landing didn't go as planned.  Unfortunate, and I'm wondering what they will learn about the faults of the harpoon tethering system.

At least the lander is still functioning and in contact with us, and capable of doing good science.  The situation is far from completely lost.  Something of a miracle after all that.  Here's hoping they can achieve a more optimal orientation for recharging.  Then getting properly anchored would be a huge plus.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: MP-Ryan on November 13, 2014, 12:25:11 pm
You guys all saw the brilliant xkcd comic on this, right?  http://xkcd1446.org/#0  Use the right arrow to scroll through.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: watsisname on November 13, 2014, 12:49:42 pm
Ja, it is hilarious and adorable.  I wonder if Randall will modify it to account for new understanding of those events. 
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 13, 2014, 01:18:27 pm
Ah, now Scourge of Ages' post makes sense :)

First time it was posted, I just got a link to a blank panel titled '???', so I was confused.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Scourge of Ages on November 14, 2014, 12:26:23 am
Figured it was something like that :)
When I posted it, I didn't realize that there was (or was going to be) a frame-by-frame available. That works muuuch better.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Gortef on November 14, 2014, 04:34:37 am
That was indeed an awesome achievement.

Oh and here's some "sounds" from the comet https://soundcloud.com/esaops/a-singing-comet
Ok it's vibration on the comets magnetic field turned into something a human ear can hear by the scientists, but still pretty eerie nevertheless.
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Flipside on November 14, 2014, 04:37:45 am
I like to think it's the ghost of Patrick Moore on his Xylophone ;)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: StarSlayer on November 14, 2014, 12:59:45 pm
That was indeed an awesome achievement.

Oh and here's some "sounds" from the comet https://soundcloud.com/esaops/a-singing-comet
Ok it's vibration on the comets magnetic field turned into something a human ear can hear by the scientists, but still pretty eerie nevertheless.

Rosetta, this is Philae   

I read you Philae

Rosetta... 



My God it's full of Stars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlgLwppgHCc)
Title: Re: Rosetta takes awesome selfie...
Post by: Lorric on November 28, 2014, 07:00:11 pm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30022469

Why not just get the tattoo after the mission succeeds? Badass tattoo though.

Look at his top and his other tattoos. Now there's a man who definitely marches to the beat of his own drum. :)
Feminists broke that man down to tears and made him apologise for wearing a shirt. For being himself.

A shirt that a FEMALE friend created for him as a birthday gift. Not that it should matter. I am profoundly disgusted and appalled.