Summary: With 180 million dollars on the budget, NASA's latest project is to learn what our Sun is really about. The project is expected to be in full tilt by 2018. By then, the 'Solar Probe Plus' is to be within four million miles of the Sun. To make this operation successful, NASA came up with a carbon composite heat armor. This new technology is said to withhold temperatures of up to 2,550 degrees farenheit. But even with this invention, the heat would still be five times greater than what we experience here on Earth. The satellite would have to rely on the shade of the armor to survive the extremity. The expedition would be a 'trip to hell and back,' but still, it would definitly be worth it. Professors and Scientists are more than excited to find what results this adventure will bring back.
Opinion: I definitly find this article an attention grabber. Living with the a star in our solar system and not knowing anything about it other than its existance is ignorant, whether we'd like to admit it or not. However, I also have my doubts on this mission. With temperatures up to 1.8 million degrees, it is hard to believe that this mission would hold out on the slightest bit of success. I'm pretty sure that we've all opened up an oven and felt the rush of hot air hit us in the face. Now imagine that magnified exponentially and we can't even grasp how much of a difficult task it would be to face that for a fraction of a second, let alone several years. And let's face it. The most successful space mission us as human beings have accomplished is a simple trip to the moon and back. Also, there's the 180 million dollar budget. The US is going through an economical recession where some familys can't afford to put food on the table. Then we have other projects going on such as the health reform bill and on top of that, we're in debt by billions of dollars to other countries. It's hard to think of where we'll find that extra 180 million dollars. With all those problems in mind, I don't find it easy to say that this mission might be the most successful one. I'm not trying to sound like an expert at this matter but anyone who can think logically can see that this experiment has its flaws. There's room for success but not much.
Questions:
What are some achievements and advancements that this mission might bring for the US or even the whole world?
Do you think that this mission will be successful at all? Why so?
Will this mission do the US better or worse considering the situation that we are in right now? Why?
Opinion: I definitly find this article an attention grabber. Living with the a star in our solar system and not knowing anything about it other than its existance is ignorant, whether we'd like to admit it or not. However, I also have my doubts on this mission. With temperatures up to 1.8 million degrees, it is hard to believe that this mission would hold out on the slightest bit of success. I'm pretty sure that we've all opened up an oven and felt the rush of hot air hit us in the face. Now imagine that magnified exponentially and we can't even grasp how much of a difficult task it would be to face that for a fraction of a second, let alone several years. And let's face it. The most successful space mission us as human beings have accomplished is a simple trip to the moon and back. Also, there's the 180 million dollar budget. The US is going through an economical recession where some familys can't afford to put food on the table. Then we have other projects going on such as the health reform bill and on top of that, we're in debt by billions of dollars to other countries. It's hard to think of where we'll find that extra 180 million dollars. With all those problems in mind, I don't find it easy to say that this mission might be the most successful one. I'm not trying to sound like an expert at this matter but anyone who can think logically can see that this experiment has its flaws. There's room for success but not much.
Questions:
What are some achievements and advancements that this mission might bring for the US or even the whole world?
Do you think that this mission will be successful at all? Why so?
Will this mission do the US better or worse considering the situation that we are in right now? Why?
Opinion: I too felt that this article grabbed my attention. I want to know more about this star that keeps our lives going. Without out the sun we would not be able to live. I do however feel that even with the carbon composite heat armor, the satellite will not be able to handle the sun's rays. This article says that the expedition will be a "trip to hell and back", but I'm not sure if the satellite will get back. However I do believe that if the satellite gets back with quality information, this will be a successful stride towards learning more about our solar system.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Question Three: That is a controversial question to me. I believe that 180 million dollars is a lot to spend when we are in a recession. Since this mission won't go into effect until 2018 I believe that this will do the US worse right now.
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Insung. This article really caught my interest. It's amazing that this armor can withhold temperatures of up to 2,550 degrees farenheit. I understand that this is a very important trip for us but it could potentially go disastrously wrong. Yes, there is a chance that the mission will be a success and we will learn many things, but then again the satellite could melt and the money we would spend would go to waste. Speaking of money, in this economy can we really afford to spend money on this mission? I don't think so. Hopefully the US makes a good choice that accomodates everyone.
This topic does not relate to the essential question but it was very interesting and I even decided to do some research about it myself.
Answer to Question 2:
I think that this question goes both ways. Yes, there is definitely a chance that this mission will go successfully and we will have a lot of really good data about the solar system. On the other hand though, it might not work and we would waste tons of money on a failed mission.
I also agree with insung. This article was very interesting. I think that it is incredible how the armor can block the power of the sun. I do not now why NASA would put up 180 million dollars to learn about the sun. I believe that NASA should have put it towards something a little more important. What if the satellite is destroyed? That would be 180 million dollars down the drain. I hope NASA will come to there senses and think of something better to do with 180 million dollars next time.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to question 2:I do not think that the satellite will make it. The sun is the most powerful energy source in the universe! My prediction is that it will get into orbit and slowly start to melt until it is a hunk of metal.
Opinion:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Insung. This topic was very exciting to read about and I can't wait to hear more about it in the future. Although I hope for success along with many others, I feel as if this project will not have as much success as we hope. I think that we will have to make MANY attempts before we make any progress. In spite of this, I think we are definitely taking a step in the right direction. I think this is a much needed exploration.
Answer to Question 2:
I do not believe that this will be a successful mission. Since this will be our first attempt, I think it would be very hard to know exactly what we need to do to make it work out perfectly. I am sure it will take a lot of trial and error to properly execute this mission.