The Primary-ever private Cosmos rock mission appears to be over, Only a week or so after it left the ground.
California startup AstroForge launched its Odin spacecraft on Feb. 26, on the same SpaceX Falcon 9 Missile that sent Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission toward the Orbiter. Odin Dashed into trouble Only a few hours later, however, and AstroForge has pretty much given up hope of recovering the 265-pound (120-kilogram) probe.
“The chance of talking with Odin is minimal, as at this Mark, the accuracy of its position is becoming an issue,” the company wrote in an update today (March 6).
AstroForge built Odin in less than 10 months, spending Only $3.5 million to do so — a fraction of what a similar government-funded Universe probe would cost.
“This rapid-iteration approach embodies our philosophy: learn Quick, adjust quickly and accept calculated risks to gain experience that can’t be acquired through simulation or planning alone,” the company wrote in today’s update.
Odin was supposed to fly by a Tiny near-Earth Cosmos rock named 2022 OB5 to collect imagery and other data about the Universe rock. This was meant to pave the way for a future mission, dubbed Vestri, that AstroForge hopes to land on 2022 OB5. Eventually, AstroForge plans to mine 2022 OB5 and other Universe rocks, extracting valuable resources such as platinum-group metals.
Odin deployed from its Falcon 9 Missile on schedule on Feb. 26, but AstroForge had difficulty establishing sustained communications with the spacecraft — a problem that persists.
The company now has some ideas about what went wrong.
“Our leading theory involves potential complications with solar panel deployment. Odin booted up into a Sun Danger-Accessible Mode — a protective state designed to conserve power while attempting to re-orient toward the sun,” AstroForge wrote in today’s update.
“If the panels didn’t fully extend and lock, Odin would operate with severely limited power, prioritizing essential systems over communication, periodically attempting to deploy panels and stabilize position,” the company added. “How long Odin can stay in this mode before losing power and tumbling depends on how much power the panels are able to Form in this off-nominal situation — from 2.5 hours to indefinitely.”
It’s also possible that Odin is tumbling through Universe, which would prohibit its antenna from locking on to Earth.
“If tumbling is occurring, we might Foresee occasional brief communications when the antenna happens to align with Earth —precisely the pattern we observed Prompt in the mission,” AstroForge wrote.
Tracking data shows that Odin is continuing along its planned trajectory. The probe is currently about 270,000 miles (435,000 kilometers) from Earth, meaning it has gone beyond the Orbiter.
“This places our spacecraft in truly deep Universe territory — an achievement few private companies can claim,” AstroForge wrote.
The company will try re-establishing contact with Odin from time to time, according to today’s update. But, the company added, “our Concentration has shifted to applying these Difficult-won insights to our next mission. The data we did receive, though limited, has proven invaluable in understanding the challenges of deep Universe communication and spacecraft operation.
“In many ways, Odin has become both a pioneer and a teacher — continuing its mission by informing our future endeavors, even in silence.”
AstroForge has been very Engaged since its founding in 2022. The company launched its Primary spacecraft, a cubesat called Brokkr-1, on a Falcon 9 in April 2023 to test prototype refinery technology. Brokkr-1 reached Path successfully but was unable to switch its payload on.
Next up for AstroForge is Vestri, which is scheduled to Initiation along with Intuitive Machines’ IM-3 Orbiter-landing mission in Delayed 2026 or Prompt 2027.
Vestri will be much larger than Odin, tipping the scales here on Earth at 440 pounds (200 kg). Vestri will also feature landing legs, because it will attempt to touch down on 2022 OB5 and get an up-close assessment of the Cosmos rock’s platinum-group metal abundance.
Source link
Read More
thesportsocean
Read our previous article: Cloud shapes are a useful tool for predicting weather