[extropy-chat] Pluto New Horizons launch -getting ready

[spike]

________________________________________
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Robert Bradbury
...

...Since the folks at MIT are now building what sounds like a nanotechnology
based bolometer which seem to be capable of single photon detection the
question for Spike or Amara would be how much power would you need to pump
into an LED array (or laser) on Pluto to guarantee more than one photon
would be available to say a 1 m mirror with a nanobolometer detector on
Earth?...


Oy I don't know.  That sounds cool tho, single photon detection.
 

...I don't recall whether I ask this or not -- does anyone know if the data
storage on the New Horizons (or for that matter even the Mars Landers) is
being handled by flash, disk or tape? Robert


Hmmm, tape surely wouldn't hold up at these temperatures (45-50K range).  I
would think it would be not flexible enough.  I suppose they could warm it
with waste heat from the RTG.  Lockmart built the booster and the RTG, but I
don't think we did the probe itself.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/LockMart_Thermoelectric_Generator_Powers_N
ASA_Pluto_New_Horizons_Probe.html


spike