reply to post by zorgon
So the info Zorgon posted states that an orbiter at 100km will eventually crash into the surface. So why is the Selene orbiter getting ready to go
into a 100km circular orbit? Did they not get the memo from JPL or NASA? This mission is supposed to last one year, so how can the Japanese maintain a
100km circular orbit for that long?
Maybe the 2 birds it let go are there to make sure what the gravity is so Selene can stay far enough away so it doesn't crash. This is a primary
reason to have them and a secondary reason would be for future mission gravity mapping. This idea isn't listed on the Jaxa site anywhere but it makes
sense to me. We won't know if this is the case unless they release the true final orbit altitude. Maybe they will also list the speed but i'm not
going to hold my breath on that one.
I'm going to guess that speed will keep it in a circular orbit at 100km but i'm not an expert in this area. Can someone use a formula with the
weight of the orbiter that is listed against an orbit @ 100km to figure out how fast it has to go with 1/6 Earth gravity? Can you figure out the speed
for 2/3 Earth gravity as well? I cannot find any speed info on this orbiter, so is that info classified? If it is not available I have to ask why not?
Would that small bit of info show what the real gravity of the Moon is? I hope you see what this can lead to since there might be another number that
comes up.
Bottom line is a 100km orbit has already proven to be fatal. Unless Selene can adjust itself for an entire year it will crash based on this, so that
makes me wonder if the year long mission will require constant maneuvers that will eat up power. That is negated by the Jaxa site since it says that
the maneuver stage is going on right now, and it doesn't list any further maneuvers. Does it even have the ability to alter its orbit after the
current maneuver stage?
Is the info posted on the Jaza site legit? How fast would this orbiter have to go to stay in a 100km circular orbit? Do they post speed info anywhere?
This is something that I was wondering about and i'm glad my post made waves. I also use open source info on this mission so i'm still able to
discuss it. You'll figure out if that changes when I stop posting.
. but John never claimed to be a physicist , and neither did I. That's why I have a research team 
