New Moon Mission

[Eric Mc]

Although I've posted a heads up on this in the "Space Shuttle Launch" thread in the "Boats, Trains & Planes" forum, I fear it will only get a small audience over there. I'm not even sure what type of audience it might get here in the "News" forum. This is where the eclectic nature of the old P&P really scored.

In any case - NASA's latest probe to the moon is arriving there just after lunchtime today and the probe will be sending back LIVE streaming video as it swings past the edge of the moon prior to entering lunar orbit. The video can be seen live at

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/lunarswin...

Mods - please keep this here if at all possible.

[Eric Mc]

1.10 GMT - which is 2.10 BST. I'll be tuning in for this about 30 minutes before it all kicks off.

First live TV images from the vicinity of the moon since 1972.

[Eric Mc]

In 2004, NASA announced a target date for a return to the moon of 2020. Today's LCROSS probe is the first step towards preparing detailed maps and surveys of potential landing sites.

At the moment, NASA is undergoing amajor review of its medium to long term goals in space and it is not guaranteed that the manned lunar missions will survive this review. This is a major shame as I think this is EXACTLY what NASA should be doing and it is what they are best at.

If NASA doesn't do it - someone else will.

[Eric Mc]

Although the probe hasn't started sending back images yet - www.spaceflightnow.com are providing TV pictures of mission control etc amnd general chat and discussion if anyone wants to tune in.

[Eric Mc]

Now in orbit.

[Eric Mc]

Absolutely - let them rot in their self created delusion and don't waste time debating with them.

LRO will be imaging some of these sites (as well of those of the old unmanned landers such as the Luna, Lunakhod and Surveyor) and will use the imaging as calibration testing of the camera's resolving capability - given that the dimensions of these artefacts are precisely known.

[Eric Mc]

Not due to start receiving anything until after 2.00 pm - by my reckoning.

[Eric Mc]

elster said:

jmorgan said:

No details? OK.
http://www.clavius.org/tvqual.html

As I say I want to know technical details before I believe, nothing wrong with that. The writings of a moon hoax debunking website would not be my first port of call.

List the bloody details you want clarified.

Come on.

[Eric Mc]

At the moment there are probably a DOZEN probes scattered out amongst the Solar System beaming back signals. Not only do we have Voyagers 1 and 2 (launched in 1977 and still functioning) we have Cassini at Saturn, two Mars probes orbiting the planet plus two landers (Spirit and Opportunity) on the surface, Pioneers 10 and 11 (launched 1973) still functioning out at the edges of the Solar System etc etc etc. We also have various space observatories up there looking out into deep space or looking at the sun.

What bits of space exploration don't people understand?

I'm happy to explain it all to them if they want their ignorance of the subject rectified - or do they just like playing stupid?

[Eric Mc]

elster said:

I am not playing the fool.

Sounds rather oxymoronic to me.

However, let's see this list.

[Eric Mc]

I await it with baited breath.

[Eric Mc]

Anybody seeing anything yet on the live feeds?

[Eric Mc]

Switched over to NASA TV itself. Hopefully, they'll carry the images - whenever they start coming in.

[Eric Mc]

I haven't seen anything yet

[Eric Mc]

Oh well.

I'm sure any pictures it took will appear elsewhere on the web or even in the astronomy press.

[Eric Mc]

elster said:

Quaint said:

jmorgan said:

Hope flapping flags and Van Allen belts do not make it to that list.

Ditto, amended to include a lack of stars in the photos, artefacts involving the graticule marks, and any nonsense involving President Nixon.

No nothing like that.

It is just to do with the actual technology involved for the "live feed" so clear at that distance with what they had.

I have a few details written down, will pop them up when I get round to it.

Edited by elster on Tuesday 23 June 21:28

No great mystery with the "live feed". The TV signals were in colour and computer enhanced in the last three missions to remove interference. Unfortunately, being American, the colour TV was to NTSC standard. If Apollo had been a European programme, the TV images would have been to PAL/SECAM standard - which was much better.

[Eric Mc]

Veering OT a bit here, but with everything going digital and HD, is American colour TV any better or worse than everybody else's these days? Certainly the stuff we see over here such as CNN or CNBC looks every bit as good as European standards.

[Eric Mc]

Einion Yrth said:

Eric Mc said:

Veering OT a bit here, but with everything going digital and HD, is American colour TV any better or worse than everybody else's these days? Certainly the stuff we see over here such as CNN or CNBC looks every bit as good as European standards.

Colour should be exactly the same, it's the compression artifacting we need to worry about these days.

You've lost me already.

How would this manifest itself - jerky movement? flickering?

[Eric Mc]

I'll take your word for it. My mum told me not to get too close to the screen in case I went blind - or am I thinking of something else?

Old NTSC used to be terrible compared to PAL. Obviously, much of that difference has been eliminated now.

Are they still using a version of NTSC in the States?

Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 24th June 14:49

[Eric Mc]

The secret is using very large receiver dishes - such as the ones at Goldstone, California and Madrid, Spain.