Mercury - MESSENGER

[granthutchison]

Here's a slight revision of the messenger ssc, which keeps the instrument platform pointing in the direction of Mercury. It does tend to produce some rather rapid manoeuvres during flyby, but it should work fairly well in the orbit phase, if I can extend the xyz for that.

Code: Select all

"Messenger" "Sol"
{
   Class "spacecraft"
   Mesh "messenger2.3ds"
   Radius 0.006

   Beginning 2453220.8021 # 2004 Aug 03 07:15

   SampledOrbit "messenger.xyz"

   FixedRotation { }
}

Modify "Messenger" "Sol"
{
   BodyFrame {
     TwoVector {
       Center "Sol/Messenger"
       Primary {
         Axis "-x"
         RelativePosition { Target "Sol" }
       }
       Secondary {
         Axis "y"
         RelativePosition { Target "Sol/Mercury" }
       }
     }
   }
}

I am actually NOT forgetting about the Black Holes...I just need to take some "breath" after the Christmas holidays are over ...

No worries. No rush.

Grant

[LordFerret]

Thankyou Grant, Fridger, and Cham too... marvelous work gentlemen!

[granthutchison]

You can compare the Celestia depiction with an animation of the planned mission available at:
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_flyby1.html

I'd forgotten that the current xyz actually includes orbit insertion in 2011. If you go to 2011 Mar 18, you can watch MESSENGER enter polar orbit and complete a couple of eccentric orbits aligned with the terminator before the xyz ends on Mar 21.

Horizons now provides data into 2012, but I'll need to reprocess the whole dataset to make it seamless. Watch this space.

Grant

[BobHegwood]

Here's a slight revision of the messenger ssc, which keeps the instrument platform pointing in the direction of Mercury. It does tend to produce some rather rapid manoeuvres during flyby, but it should work fairly well in the orbit phase, if I can extend the xyz for that.

Wow, thanks a LOT, Grant.

This mission is starting to look very cool (For lack of better
phraseology) in Celestia.

[Fightspit]

In more 3 hours, Messenger will be at the closest of Mercury:
Here the cel-url:
cel://Follow/Sol:Messenger/2008-01-14T2 ... 3959&ver=2

On January 14, 2008, more than three decades after the third Mariner 10 flyby, the last spacecraft visit of Mercury, MESSENGER will pass 200 kilometers above Mercury's surface. Extensive scientific observations are planned during this flyby encounter, including imaging a large portion of Mercury's surface that has never before been seen by a spacecraft. Listen to Principal Investigator Sean Solomon discuss the importance of this historic flyby of Mercury during a Planetary Radio show.

From:
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/mer_flyby1.html

You can view the countdown:
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/index.php

[mvansome]

Any guess as to when we (non-gov people) may have a chance to see these images?

Any rogue entities out there with the capabilities to intercept the transmission of data?

[ElChristou]

Any guess as to when we (non-gov people) may have a chance to see these images?

Any rogue entities out there with the capabilities to intercept the transmission of data?

What are you looking for? Alien bases?

[mvansome]

Of course! I could only hope to find one! Actually my first question was more serious than my second, but of course when in doubt of any intelligent answer, poke fun, right?