tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post8421797068781530989..comments2024-03-21T08:00:48.696-07:00Comments on No Shortage of Dreams: After Venus: Pioneer Mars Orbiter with Penetrators (1974)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-64630405581742507672018-11-10T18:06:15.008-07:002018-11-10T18:06:15.008-07:00A:
All that you say makes sense, though it's ...A:<br /><br />All that you say makes sense, though it's telling that when the Soviets published popular-audience pamphlets on their Mars program they nearly always used Mariner and Viking images. Soviet planetary spacecraft just weren't all that good. They've abandoned the field now.<br /><br />dsfpDavid S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-66086058625592019172017-12-20T11:33:52.307-07:002017-12-20T11:33:52.307-07:00Regarding planetary exploration, and that means fl...Regarding planetary exploration, and that means flights beyond the Earth-Moon system, the US took an early lead with the Mariner 2 mission in 1962, and has essentially retained that since, although of course there is no longer USSR. Specifically regarding the Soviet Mars missions, we must always make the distinction between orbiter and lander missions. The orbiter missions, naturally in regard Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-33659449667292936832017-12-13T12:37:28.205-07:002017-12-13T12:37:28.205-07:00A:
I might not have expressed myself well on that...A:<br /><br />I might not have expressed myself well on that point. During Apollo, the USSR declared that it would explore everywhere using robots, not placing cosmonaut lives at risk and saving lots of money. Let the decadent capitalists endanger lives and blow tens of billions of dollars. They them proceeded to launch the Lunokhod rovers and the Luna 16, 20, and 24 sample-returners to the moon,David S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-64507677154715874122017-12-13T07:38:54.938-07:002017-12-13T07:38:54.938-07:00I am neither American or former Soviet to have eve...I am neither American or former Soviet to have even the most minimal nationalistic element in my thinking, and exploration of other worlds, which is what space exploration really is about as I see it, is a gain for all humanity no matter which nation conducts it. However, the nationalistic element was there during the cold war, but I don't understand what is meant by saying that Viking and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-49906286876169591542017-12-02T09:08:36.980-07:002017-12-02T09:08:36.980-07:00(continued from last reply)
We know that life on ...(continued from last reply)<br /><br />We know that life on Earth can take some pretty weird forms and live in some pretty inhospitable places. We believe that the earliest life formed near (or even in) hot springs. We know that life formed very early. We know that, by some estimates, Earth has more biomass under its surface than it does on its surface. Much of that life appears to resemble the David S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-53543869729489056732017-12-02T09:05:40.902-07:002017-12-02T09:05:40.902-07:00Anon:
My policy is rescue and revise. Sometimes I...Anon:<br /><br />My policy is rescue and revise. Sometimes I don't change much - other times it's an extensive rewrite. I've even merged some posts. Some of my posts have been around since the 1990s, but if you put the original version next to the latest version, you'd see few similarities beyond the basic topic. And, of course, I am writing new posts. I won't count the "David S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-4566486157322172962017-12-02T06:43:55.862-07:002017-12-02T06:43:55.862-07:00I remember being intrigued when I first read about...I remember being intrigued when I first read about this plan at Beyond Apollo, so it's nice to read a bit more information about it on this post, that's the most interesting stuff, proposals that were actually feasible, although never realized. It was stupid of NASA to sell Viking simply as a mission about finding life on Mars, although I never understood why if life indeed doesn't Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-19157522051352031402017-11-23T06:22:56.434-07:002017-11-23T06:22:56.434-07:00Hi Spaceflight History Team,
My name is Anuj Agar...Hi Spaceflight History Team,<br /><br />My name is Anuj Agarwal. I'm Founder of Feedspot. <br /><br />I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Spaceflight History has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 30 NASA Blogs on the web.<br /><br />https://blog.feedspot.com/nasa_blogs/<br /><br />I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution Tanvihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10130850099135062525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-15742102080582676492017-11-21T20:28:27.776-07:002017-11-21T20:28:27.776-07:00U:
That's a tough question to answer. I suppo...U:<br /><br />That's a tough question to answer. I suppose if we'd kept the Pioneer label alive - the way we've retained the "Explorer" label - then it could have been applied to just about any mission. One thing to consider, though - Pioneer became associated with NASA Ames Research Center early on. All the Pioneers starting with Pioneer 5 were NASA ARC-managed. So, if thatDavid S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-67643804771796353702017-11-21T14:08:40.501-07:002017-11-21T14:08:40.501-07:00i know New Horizons came out of the NASA “New Fron...i know New Horizons came out of the NASA “New Fronteers” mission projects but were back when would it have been a Pioneer under the definition in the article.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09342961462271564757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-21796319634170369532017-11-20T22:56:36.117-07:002017-11-20T22:56:36.117-07:00I corrected and fleshed out some of the Pioneer mi...I corrected and fleshed out some of the Pioneer mission details. I should learn that I cannot rely on my memory for specific mission information. <br /><br />dsfp David S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-25792742219042254652017-11-20T13:26:54.879-07:002017-11-20T13:26:54.879-07:00Galileo had some Pioneer heritage, or so I've ...Galileo had some Pioneer heritage, or so I've heard it said. I'm not aware of any others.<br /><br />dsfpDavid S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-62846497691109307522017-11-20T11:34:13.033-07:002017-11-20T11:34:13.033-07:00Very interesting the criteria that made a pioneer,...Very interesting the criteria that made a pioneer, a pioneer. Never knew that before. Was there anything after Pioneer Venus that might have otherwis taken on that famous name? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-65581367858167135072017-11-19T12:04:42.672-07:002017-11-19T12:04:42.672-07:00nope, simply a low cost Mars Orbiter
nope, simply a low cost Mars Orbiter <br />washttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00089303950984529995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-53631290940525925162017-11-19T08:12:11.506-07:002017-11-19T08:12:11.506-07:00I remember Kepler - though just barely! Was it int...I remember Kepler - though just barely! Was it intended to deploy a lander or landers?<br /><br />dsfpDavid S. F. Portreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15818906581595028816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633940777526327846.post-4586357133976620862017-11-18T15:46:27.221-07:002017-11-18T15:46:27.221-07:00ESA had made similar study in 1980s (1981 to 1988)...ESA had made similar study in 1980s (1981 to 1988) <br />for spin stabilized Mars Orbiter called "Kepler" <br />to be launch with Ariane 3 the probe would go in elliptical orbit around Mars.washttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00089303950984529995noreply@blogger.com