Teaching An Old Spacecraft New Tricks.

You are never too old to still be useful.  Look at Kepler, crippled, too far away for repair, yet still doing science, albeit a different type than it was sent out to space for, but science still.

But the 36-year-old International Sun-Earth Explorer 3  (ISEE-3), is probably one of the oldest to be tasked with a new mission.  The spacecraft flew by the Moon yesterday evening while a private team of engineers (who took control of the spacecraft earlier this year from NASA) will try to reboot the spacecraft for an interplanetary science mission.

The long, and complex path of the spacecraft is very interesting.

The private team was hoping to bring the craft into orbit around Earth, but there wasn’t any fuel left, so on to plan B (no, not Plan 9 from outer space, Plan B).

Google has offered to help and held a Hangout and assisted with providing  live spacecraft data at the site SpacecraftForAll.com and access to the mission.

credit http://onlinescienceeducatorbylabpaq.com/2013/01/08/citizen-science-in-distance-learning/

As time moves forward, I am seeing a lot more citizen science projects.  With the Maker movement and access to technology, it seems that the sky is really not the limit for what you can accomplish.

 

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +

Norman

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.

Ahhh a classic song for a classic satellite.

Almost as classic as those shorts!  Anyway, 36 years ago, on August 12, 1978, the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) spacecraft (originally known as International Sun/Earth Explorer 3[(ISEE-3)]) satellite, was launched.

It was part of the ISEE (International Sun-Earth Explorer) international cooperative program between NASA and ESRO/ESA to study the interaction between the Earth’s magnetic field and the solar wind.

There were three spacecraft, a mother/daughter pair (ISEE-1 and ISEE-2) and a Heliocentric orbit spacecraft (ISEE-3, later renamed ICE).

On a historical note, ISEE-3 was the first spacecraft to be placed in a halo orbit at one of Earth-Sun Lagrangian points (L1). It was later sent to visit Comet Giacobini-Zinner and Comet Halley, and became the first spacecraft to fly through a comet’s tail.  Unfortunately, ICE is not equipped with cameras, so no pretty pictures, but it did gather some great data.

Due to costs, NASA shut down the spacecraft On May 5, 1997, or did they.  It turns out that ICE has be fully functioning since the “shutdown” command was sent.

Now a group wants to retrieve the satellite, get it back into position and chase another comet.  NASA needs about $125,000 to bring ICE back to life and send it on another comet hunting mission.

So a crowdfunding campaign was started here and has gone passed the half way mark.  Most of the funds are from average people (a testament to how much people like space).  If they are successful, it would make me revisit my Let’ Buy A Space Station idea.   You should also check out the other projects on Rockethub.  You might find something that interests you.

Of course you know this post could have been titled ICE, ICE baby.

P.S. you knew this was coming so don’t blame me.

– Ex astris, scientia –

I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine.  As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +

Norman