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Re: (meteorobs) phantom-orbits
In a message dated 2/19/00 8:50:40 PM Eastern Standard Time,
staff@meteors.com writes:
<< My friend is certain that he read an article in Wired magazine in which
the architect of a prominent space probe said that the craft would be
placed in a so-called "phantom-orbit": an orbit around no mass, only
space.
Both of us are puzzled by this. So, I'm coming to the experts.
Does anyone know of such a thing?
I was unable to recover any articles from Wired's archive.
I know that there is a craft around the very weak gravity of Eros.
>>
While I'm far from being an expert I see no easy way to put a probe in orbit
around nothing, without spending tons and tons of propellant in direction
changes.
I too look in Wired's archive and came up with nothing.
Yes the probe is in orbit around Eros. The gravity is low but there is still
something there.
The escape velocity of Eros is only 22mph, and NEAR is doing only 2 mph
around the asteroid that 21X8X8 mi approximately.
KevinK
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