Re:Why it takes so long to get data back from New Horizons
by rootbear on Sunday July 19, 2015 @09:28AM
(#9911120)
The downlink is actually 1kbps, with 2kbps optional, by using both amplifiers with opposite circular polarizations. But they can't use that trick all the time. A nice article with more technical details is at http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2015/0130080...
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Re:Why it takes so long to get data back from New Horizons
by dang on Sunday July 19, 2015 @01:54PM
(#9912098)
Ok, since the consensus in the thread is that the submitted article (http://gizmodo.com/why-itll-take-new-horizons-16-months-to-s...) wasn't very good, let's try switching to that one.
Re:Why it takes so long to get data back from New Horizons
by mikeash on Sunday July 19, 2015 @04:17PM
(#9912669)
Great article. And for anyone who didn't see it, to call this mode "optional" is putting it extremely mildly: to get enough power to run both amplifiers at once, they have to shut down the spacecraft's guidance system (!) and keep it pointed at Earth by using the thrusters to spin it up like a top. And this whole crazy scheme was developed after launch.