[meteorite-list] Stardust Observers Ready For Human-Made Fireball

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Jan 15 03:30:04 2006
Message-ID: <24c.53aa3a1.30fb6138_at_aol.com>

In a message dated 1/15/2006 12:44:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov writes:

>When it slams into the atmosphere, it will be traveling at a
>blistering 28,860 miles per hour (46,440 kilometers per hour)
>- the greatest velocity ever attained by any human-made object
>on record.
 
It appears this comment should be "Fastest REENTRY of a man made object into
earth's atmosphere" and not suggest the "greatest velocity ever attained by
any human-made object on record."
 
These comments have been made in several places, sometimes with a comparison
to Apollo 10's re-entry capsule (24,795 mph), which holds the record for a M
ANNED vehicle, which isn't quite the comparison to make here and will
continue to hold its record for manned flight. Good thin that was finally edited
out of the press releases. Several spacecraft are traveling significantly
faster than this at the current time. Depending on who you ask:
 
The record-holder of velocity first obtained in about 1977 is Helios 2
(USA/Ger)
but that seems to be swept under the carpet today.
The Helios 2 Solar probe is still in orbit
(elliptical from inside Mercury almost to Earth)
 
Helios 2 reaches 150,000 mph at perihelion, but slows to a mere 45,000 mph
at aphelion at 0.98 AU.
Voyager I is clocking in at 38,000 to 41,000 mph,
Voyager II about 10% less than her twin.
Pioneer 10 about 32,000 mph
 
Like Stardust will do shortly, Galileo was estimated to enter Jupiter's
atmosphere much faster, at over 100,000 mph in 2003.
 
For comparison Mercury has tooling along at about 107,000 mph for a long
time before this and will continue to do so after Earth is no longer inhabitable
as we know it...
 
And aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, Warp 1 (the speed of light) is 670,608,000
miles per hour:) Helios 2 does 0.023% that...
 
Enjoying the show. Fingers crossed. Saludos, Doug
Received on Sun 15 Jan 2006 03:26:32 AM PST