tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post1185361557154189737..comments2024-01-03T20:28:17.727-08:00Comments on Future Planetary Exploration: Various Thoughts on the Flagship MissionVan Kanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227978868817989527noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-38878749369584278562009-02-21T10:12:00.000-08:002009-02-21T10:12:00.000-08:00Yes, I remember when it was "Cassini-CRAF".Still, ...Yes, I remember when it was "Cassini-CRAF".<BR/><BR/>Still, perhaps I'm letting myself be seduced by the superficial similarity between Uranus and Neptune, but it does seem that if there are any economies of scale, NASA ought to think in terms of sending the same type of vehicle to both worlds.<BR/><BR/>I realize I'm fantasizing about a mission that wouldn't launch before I'm 80 . . .<BR/><BR/>--GregGreg Hullenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16720604327299886491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-21223192339038567712009-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:002009-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00Greg -I've read that an exact duplicate of a space...Greg -<BR/><BR/>I've read that an exact duplicate of a spacecraft and it's instruments can be purchased for 50-60% of the cost of the first. I don't know if that includes the launch vehicle.<BR/><BR/>A Titan mission would have a new set of instruments, which would be expensive for a flagship mission ($100M? $150M?). Perhaps a second craft to fly to Titan for $1.5B to $2B?<BR/><BR/>Originally, Cassini was part of a dual spacecraft build with the second craft to rendezvous with a comet. Congress effectively forced NASA to kill the comet mission. I understand that Cassini survived only because of the international nature of the mission.Van Kanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14227978868817989527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-65755150610835730802009-02-20T15:37:00.000-08:002009-02-20T15:37:00.000-08:00I keep wondering whether building two identical Fl...I keep wondering whether building two identical Flagship-class vehicles might only cost as much as a Flagship plus a New Frontiers mission, but I've never seen a breakdown of what these things cost.<BR/><BR/>I remember how at one point NASA routinely sent spacecraft in pairs, but lately, except for the two Mars Rovers, they don't seem to think that way anymore. What I'd like to see is a breakdown of how much of a mission is non-recurring engineering (which would be shared between two probes), how much is the probe itself, how much is launch vehicle (which might come down sharply with things like SpaceX Falcon 9), and how much is operations (there might be some economy of scale monitoring two identical craft).<BR/><BR/>Perhaps these days we wouldn't expect to get 2x the data from identical spacecraft at the same target, but then perhaps they don't need to go to the same place.<BR/><BR/>For example, suppose NASA wanted to build a Neptune orbiter. What would the cost effect be of making two and using the other as a Uranus orbiter? They'd arrive at different times, so one could imagine using the same support crew for both. Would that really essentially double the cost of the first mission, or would it only increase marginally?<BR/><BR/>I'd imagine NASA has done this sort of calculation, but, if so, I've never seen mention of it.<BR/><BR/>--GregGreg Hullenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16720604327299886491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-38718236380884211852009-02-20T10:44:00.000-08:002009-02-20T10:44:00.000-08:00Nope. Never beyond Mars (and never a completely s...Nope. Never beyond Mars (and never a completely successful mission there in 14 tries).<BR/><BR/>G ClarkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270899075443508100.post-48725800294580963852009-02-20T09:11:00.000-08:002009-02-20T09:11:00.000-08:00That would be extraordinarily challenging for the ...That would be extraordinarily challenging for the Russians. They haven't done any space probes since ... Mars 96? If they pull off Phobos-Grunt, <I>maybe</I> they can pull off a Europa lander. I'd have my doubts though. Did the Soviet Union ever venture into the outer system?Will Bairdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07562404098136557872noreply@blogger.com