Galileo atmospheric probe- MUCH better trajectory!

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Topic author
JackHiggins
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Galileo atmospheric probe- MUCH better trajectory!

Post #1by JackHiggins » 27.11.2003, 00:04

Hey all

As a spinoff of the big Galileo xyz project which i'm working on (see thread http://63.224.48.65/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3685 for details) i've also created a new xyz for the Galileo atmospheric probe. The old one was based on Horizons' own data for the probe, but it sucked big time, because it only came as close to Jupiter as the orbit of Thebe. :(

What i've done now, is to...
1. Get heliocentric elements for the Galileo probe at the first time that Horizons lists
2. Plug these elements back into Horizons, through the custom user input method
3. Make a new xyz from this data!

This way only works for unpowered craft though, since this xyz is only based on the gravitational effects of jupiter, not on any course correction manouvres etc (not that the Galileo probe could make any!)

If you've ever wanted to see a probe enter the atmosphere of a planet realistically in Celestia, here's your chance! :)

So... To download this, it's the #5 xyz on the Spacecraft page of my website http://homepage.eircom.net/~jackcelestia/ , but have a look at a few screenshots first.

(Small ones, because the JPEG quality turned out shocking on the large ones, and I didn't have time to change them... :wink: )

ImageImageImage

(Images link to full size versions, and more here: http://homepage.eircom.net/~jackcelesti ... oprobe.htm )

Enjoy! :D
- Jack Higgins
Jack's Celestia Add-ons
And visit my Celestia Gallery too!

TERRIER
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Post #2by TERRIER » 27.11.2003, 00:38

Cheers for this Jack,

That last screenshot of yours, showing the probe within Jupiters atmosphere, means this is a priority download for me!

Hopefully we'll have another great xyz for the Huygens probe when it eventually enters Titans atmosphere :wink:

regards
TERRIER
1.6.0:AMDAth1.2GHz 1GbDDR266:Ge6200 256mbDDR250:WinXP-SP3:1280x1024x32FS:v196.21@AA4x:AF16x:IS=HQ:T.Buff=ON Earth16Kdds@15KkmArctic2000AD:FOV1:SPEC L5dds:NORM L5dxt5:CLOUD L5dds:
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bh
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Post #3by bh » 27.11.2003, 01:02

Bloody great Jack...again!!

Well done!!

Regards...bh.

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Jeam Tag M
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Post #4by Jeam Tag » 27.11.2003, 08:44

Hi Jack.
Great work, thanks!
I must update all my Galileo item, now :wink:
No time these days alas, but i'll try as soon as can..
Jeam
Catalogue des ajouts /Catalog for the Add-Ons in French
...PAGES LOSTS, SORRY

Topic author
JackHiggins
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Joined: 16.12.2002
With us: 21 years 11 months
Location: People's Republic Of Cork, Ireland

Post #5by JackHiggins » 27.11.2003, 23:09

A few more points of info:

As you may have seen from the Huge galileo xyz thread, there's a big error in the position of Jupiter (~3000km). I'm going to make an xyz for Jupiter's orbit during the Galileo mission, which will improve the accuracy of moon flybys, but also the accuracy of this probe xyz. I might have to extend the xyz, or alter the ssc etc when I get a better jupiter xyz!

The orientation for the galileo probe is way off- if anyone would like to post a better ssc i'd be very grateful!

Something else too... Oh yeah- the reason the xyz starts when galileo is a few 1000 km away from the probe is because of extreme jerkyness at any time before this. [/list]
- Jack Higgins

Jack's Celestia Add-ons

And visit my Celestia Gallery too!


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