19 Questions
Which mission did NASA lose due to a math boo-boo?
Mars Climate Orbiter mission
What was the cost of the mission that NASA lost?
$327 million
Which year did the Mars Climate Orbiter launch?
1998
What was the weight of the Mars Climate Orbiter?
638 kilograms
How many course corrections were performed during the mission?
4
What is solar pressure?
The momentum of the massless photons exerting pressure on a spacecraft
According to the text, what caused the Mars Climate Orbiter mission to fail?
Software misinterpretation of thruster firing data
What unit of measurement was mistakenly used by the software?
Pound-seconds of force
What was the calculated altitude at which the spacecraft was supposed to encounter Mars?
226 kilometers
Which unit of measurement was incorrectly used by the spacecraft in its reports to the ground station?
Pound seconds
What was the factor by which the reported results of the spacecraft's desaturation maneuvers were off?
4.45 times
Why was the trajectory calculated by the guidance team incorrect?
The units used in the calculations were incorrect
What could have prevented the error in the spacecraft's trajectory calculations?
Using the correct units in the calculations
During a desaturation maneuver or correction burn, NASA records the exact impulse and time every thruster fired. What is the purpose of this?
To calculate the spacecraft's trajectory changes
How does Mission Control track the spacecraft's trajectory in deep space?
By Doppler shift
What is the purpose of the Hohmann transfer burn?
To send the spacecraft on its way to Mars
Why did the navigation team notice a discrepancy in the observed trajectory after the Mars Orbital Insertion burn?
The spacecraft's altitude was measured in the wrong unit
What altitude did the spacecraft encounter Mars at?
The spacecraft encountered Mars at 57 kilometers in altitude instead of the calculated 226 kilometers.
What lesson can be learned from the Mars Climate Orbiter mishap?
The mishap serves as a humbling reminder that even brilliant minds can make errors and overlook trivial problems.
Test your knowledge on spacecraft attitude control with this quiz! Learn about the AMD (Attitude Maintenance and Determination) technique used to reset a spacecraft's orientation and keep the reaction wheels happy. Challenge yourself with questions on spacecraft rotation and attitude control mechanisms.
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