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Article: <5fpemc$kcf@dfw-ixnews5.ix.netcom.com>
From: saquo@ix.netcom.com(Nancy )
Subject: Re: LONG ELLIPSE ORBITS
Date: 7 Mar 1997 16:10:52 GMT
In article <5fl5gu$o12@news.ccit.arizona.edu> Jim Scotti
writes:
>> Unless a probe is close enough to a large object to be
>> affected by its gravity, curving toward it in a
combination
>> of the gravity pull and its forward motion, they move in
a
>> straight line.
>> saquo@ix.netcom.com
>
> As a matter of fact, they don't - the probes follow
hyperbolic
> orbits out of the solar system. Without rocket burns, the
> gravitational assist the Pioneer and Voyager probes
experience
> going past the planets simply turned the planetocentric
> velocity vectors along a hyperbolic orbit past the planet.
> With respect to the planet, the probe left its vicinity with
the
> same speed, but different direction than it was originally
on
> before the encounter. But once back in the heliocentric
> dominated space, the probes followed gravitationally
> dominated orbits - hyperbolic so they escape the solar
system.
>jscotti@LPL.Arizona.EDU (Jim Scotti)
(Begin ZetaTalk[TM])
Hold that thought! Mark this moment! We have here Jim Scotti
saying that an object like the probes moves IN AN ESSENTIALLY
STRAIGHT LINE OUT OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
Now, Jim, given your experience with probes, do they turn
around way out there in space or do they just keep going? Haven't
heard any estimates of when NASA expects their probes to RETURN
from outer space. It's always, "there it goes, bye
bye!"
(End ZetaTalk[TM])