Dropping by.In October 24, a spacecraft spacecraft Vehicle designed to operate, with or without a crew, in a controlled flight pattern above Earth's lower atmosphere. Since streamlining is not needed in the high vacuum of this environment, a spacecraft's shape is designed according to its mission (see will zip past Venus--Earth's nearest planet neighbor. The Venus flyby fly·by also fly-by n. pl. fly·bys A flight passing close to a specified target or position, especially a maneuver in which a spacecraft or satellite passes sufficiently close to a body to make detailed observations without is the first of two that NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft will complete on its way to Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun. The close encounters will allow scientists to test out the craft's equipment as well as collect new data about Venus. "We will take images and [use a laser] to look into the structure of the planet's clouds," says Sean Solomon, the principal investigator Noun 1. principal investigator - the scientist in charge of an experiment or research project PI scientist - a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences of the MESSENGER mission. The flybys will also help MESSENGER reach its final destination. As the spacecraft passes Venus, the tug of the planet's gravity slows MESSENGER and alters the path of the craft. A sequence of these maneuvers For the military usage, see . "Maneuvers" is the 27th episode of , and the eleventh episode in the second season. Plot After Voyager detects a Federation probe, the Kazon Nistrim attack and steal some transporter technology. will prepare the spacecraft to steer into Mercury's orbit in 2011. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion