Re: [meteorite-list] Space Radar? (Was: Cold Asteroids May Have A Soft Heart)

2011-04-14 Thread Walter Branch

Hello Eric,


Will radar even work in space? If so, what's the range,
and how would it work?


Radar does indeed work in space.  The Gemini mission used radar to practice 
spacecraft rendezvous in preparation for the Apollo lunar landings.  As 
well, with the actual landings, radar was used during the descent and ascent 
phases.  It was the ascent radar being accidentally switched on which caused 
the infamous 1201 and 1202 alarms during the descent phase of Apollo 11.


As to the economy of using space-based radar to search for NEOs.  As others 
have pointed out, nahhh.


-Walter.





- Original Message - 
From: Meteorites USA e...@meteoritesusa.com

To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2011 1:15 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Space Radar? (Was: Cold Asteroids May Have A 
Soft Heart)




Richard, List,

Since smaller meteoroids and asteroids are nearly undetectable in space, 
and we're currently searching optically with telescopes. Is it possible to 
detect meteoroids/asteroids with space based radar?


Will radar even work in space? If so, what's the range, and how would it 
work? Do we have something like this?


I know we have space based weather radar satellites, but what about 
pointing them into empty space to search for asteroids?


Sorry if this is a dumb question... Just curious.

Regards,
Eric



On 4/13/2011 10:00 PM, Richard A. Kowalski wrote:
Small chunks of Vesta in earth crossing orbits, say 10 meters in 
diameter, the size that can drop tens of kilos on the earth's surface, 
are very difficult to detect. In fact something this size may only be 
detected a few days before impact, if at all.

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Re: [meteorite-list] Space Radar? (Was: Cold Asteroids May Have A Soft Heart)

2011-04-13 Thread Meteorites USA

Richard, List,

Since smaller meteoroids and asteroids are nearly undetectable in space, 
and we're currently searching optically with telescopes. Is it possible 
to detect meteoroids/asteroids with space based radar?


Will radar even work in space? If so, what's the range, and how would it 
work? Do we have something like this?


I know we have space based weather radar satellites, but what about 
pointing them into empty space to search for asteroids?


Sorry if this is a dumb question... Just curious.

Regards,
Eric



On 4/13/2011 10:00 PM, Richard A. Kowalski wrote:
Small chunks of Vesta in earth crossing orbits, say 10 meters in 
diameter, the size that can drop tens of kilos on the earth's surface, 
are very difficult to detect. In fact something this size may only be 
detected a few days before impact, if at all. 

__
Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html
Meteorite-list mailing list
Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list